A woman was arrested by Border Patrol agents near Temecula in Riverside County after heroin and fentanyl totaling more than $100,000 were discovered inside her vehicle's battery, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.
The driver, simply described by authorities as an adult woman and U.S. citizen, was pulled over on Interstate 15 near Temecula, and after speaking with agents, the agents conducted a K-9 sniff of the woman's car, which resulted in the dog alerting to the vehicle's engine compartment, the U.S. Border Patrol said.
Agents noticed signs of tampering on the car's battery and shortly after, the driver admitted that the battery contained illegal narcotics, according to authorities. The woman was taken into custody and her vehicle taken to a nearby Border Patrol station.
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Four packages were found inside the car battery, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which contained 9.26 pounds of heroin and 1.23 pounds of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $105,000.
The drugs and driver were turned over to DEA Los Angeles for further investigation, while the vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Since Oct. 1, 2020, the San Diego Sector has seized more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine, 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine, 100 pounds of heroin, and 300 pounds of fentanyl, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
Suspicious activity can be reported to the U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector at 619-498-9900.
