US Border Patrol Seized $3.6 Million Worth Of Fentanyl From Lone Driver At Interstate Check Stop

An adult male driver cruising the interstate near Campo, California was arrested by Border Patrol agents around 3 a.m. Monday after being pulled over for a check stop. The driver whose identity was not revealed was found in possession of 250 pounds of illegal drugs. Agents searched the vehicle as a Border Patrol K-9 sniffed around the 2015 Black GMC. The K-9 officer alerted the agents leading them to discover multiple bundles of pills stashed and concealed within the vehicle’s spare tire and gas tank.

According to Fox News, the drugs tested positive for fentanyl and were estimated to have a street value of over $3.6 million. "Our agents prevented these dangerous narcotics from reaching our communities," Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said in a statement. Heitke reassured the public that Border Patrol agents in San Diego are responsible for seizing over 50% of all fentanyl being smuggled into the country this year.

Meanwhile, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has called on the Biden administration to declare illegal fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. Moody’s move comes after two recent mass overdoses were reported in her state. The Attorney General is urging the president to use his executive powers or at least urge Congress to declare fentanyl a WMD. Such a decision would require several government agencies to work tightly together given the increasing rate of overdoses in the country linked to the use and abuse of the drug.

By definition, a WMD is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or other device that is used for the sole intent to harm a large population. Moody pointed out that given the amount of fentanyl being smuggled into the country, it could very likely be an option for a chemical weapon attack. In her letter to the President, she said, “The reality is that the deadliness of fentanyl combined with its sheer availability in Mexico to criminal cartels and non-state actors makes it an increasingly likely weapon for use.”

Fentanyl seizures on the Southern border have noticeably soared in the past recent years based on Customs Border Protection (CBP) data which has recorded over 10,500 pounds of fentanyl in 2021. This has gained a remarkable spike from 4,558 pounds in 2020.