(CNN)US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials hide over $ 1.1 million in car panels The authorities said they would drive from Mexico to California.
The man was driving the 2011 Lincoln MKZ, which contains about 89 pounds of narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. It was hidden in a package hidden throughout the car's "quarter panel, rear bumper, firewall, rocker panel." ".
The vehicle driver was "handed over to an investigation by the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Immigration and Customs Department," CBP said.
"CBP personnel are at the forefront of stopping these types of dangerous drugs from entering the United States," said Anne Marichic, Deputy Director of CBP Field Operations in San Diego. "I'm proud of our officers, and as a result of their keen awareness and collaborative efforts, these drugs do not reach our community."
The CDC estimates that 106,854 people died from drug overdose in the 12 months to November 2021. The annual death toll from drug overdose has more than doubled in the last six years and has increased by 16% in the past year alone.