Package of Fentanyl Found Taped to Man's Back at Pine Valley Immigration Checkpoint

A 51-year-old man was arrested Tuesday at an immigration checkpoint in Pine Valley after a K-9 team discovered he had taped about $39,000 worth of fentanyl to his back, according to U.S. Border Patrol.

The discovery was made at about 10:30 a.m. earlier this week when a man in a white Volkswagen Jetta arrived at the inspection area of Interstate 8’s immigration checkpoint in Pine Valley. There, a K-9 team performed a sniff of the vehicle and referred the driver to another inspection after a dog sensed narcotics.

While the man was being questioned, he lifted his shirt and revealed a package of drugs was taped on his back, with cellophane tape wrapping around his midsection.

Agents inspected the package and found hundreds of small, light-blue tablets that tested positive for fentanyl, Border Patrol said. The drugs weighed 2.51 pounds and have an estimated street value of $39,900.

The man, who is a U.S. citizen, and the drugs were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.