San Diego

$1.4M of Oxycodone Seized at Otay Mesa Port of Entry

The seizure marks the largest of its kind in five years along the Southwest border.

A U.S. citizen has been charged with importing more than 47,000 tablets of oxycodone, a seizure believed to be the largest of its kind in at least the last five years, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. 

The opioid tablets, normally prescribed to treat severe pain, have an estimated street value of approximately $1.42 million, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

β€œThis is one of the biggest seizures of oxycodone at a San Diego port of entry,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson in a statement. β€œEvery pill we seize is one that we keep out of the mouths of abusers who are on a path to destruction.”

Adriana Morfin-Paniagua, 22, a U.S. citizen living in Tijuana, Mexico, allegedly entered the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry driving her 1999 Honda Accord on March 8. 

After Morfin-Paniagua's car was referred to secondary inspection, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials found 30 packages with oxycodone tablets inside, hiding in a non-factory compartment. 

The tablets - which tested positive as oxycodone - have an estimated street value of $30 to $40 per tablet, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. At $30 a tablet, the value of the 47,340 tablets found is $1,420,200. 

Morfin-Paniagua has been charged with the importation of a controlled substance. She was booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center. 

If convicted, she could face a maximum of 20 years in custody. 

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