Large Fentanyl Load Intercepted Near Temecula By Border Patrol

TEMECULA, CA — A multi-million-dollar fentanyl seizure by U.S. Border Patrol agents last week near Temecula led to the questioning of a 24-year-old woman who was allegedly hauling the narcotics, according to USBP.

The bust occurred Nov. 16 on Interstate 15. Agents pulled over the woman, who was driving a gray Honda Civic northbound on the freeway.

During the stop and eventual search, agents and a USBP canine found 62 "bundles" of blue pills hidden inside the car's door panels and seats, the federal agency said.

Known on the street as "M30s," blue pills are typically counterfeit oxycodone tablets laced with fentanyl. Testing confirmed the 81.4 pounds of pills contained fentanyl; the street value on the haul was estimated at $3,692,000, according to the USBP.

The woman and the pills were turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. An update on her status was unavailable.

The woman's identity and nationality were not released.

Chief Patrol Agent Patricia D. McGurk-Daniel released a statement about the bust: “We will continue to serve on the frontlines against fentanyl by disrupting and ultimately dismantling the drug trafficking organizations who profit in this poison.”