Murrieta Border Patrol Agents Intercept Fentanyl Haul On I-15

MURRIETA, CA — U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed out of the Murrieta office on Madison Avenue intercepted an American citizen who was allegedly transporting 2.53 pounds of fentanyl on Interstate 15, the agency reported Thursday.

The bust occurred at approximately 3:20 p.m. Tuesday on the southbound side of the freeway, near state Route 76, after agents pulled over a 2018 Audi sedan.

The officers became suspicious of the 20-year-old man behind the wheel and used a K-9 team to sniff out the vehicle.

The search turned up a cellophane-wrapped package in the Audi’s dashboard that contained 2.53 pounds of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $37,375, according to the USBP statement.

The estimated lethal dose of fentanyl in humans is 2 milligrams, according to law enforcement agencies. The number of milligrams in the 2.53 pounds of synthetic opioid seized Tuesday is 1,147,589 — enough to kill more than a half-million people.

The American driver and the narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. USBP agents seized the Audi.

“Thanks to the professionalism and dedication of our agents on the frontline, these dangerous drugs will not reach any community in our country,” said Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke.