On May 22, 2024, Border Patrol agents from the Indio Border Patrol Station arrested a female driver transporting 29 pounds of fentanyl on Interstate 10 near Indio, California. The arrest was made as part of Operation Apollo, a counter-fentanyl initiative.
At 9:32 a.m. on May 15, agents in marked vehicles observed a white SUV acting suspiciously and conducted a record check, revealing the driver was an undocumented immigrant. The driver, accompanied by her two U.S. citizen children, raised further suspicion due to inconsistent responses during questioning.
A K-9 unit alerted agents to the rear seat area, where a sealed box was found in plain sight. The box, containing three black shelves, was unusually heavy and had fresh, tacky paint. Agents opened the box and discovered a cellophane-wrapped package containing blue pills marked M-30, identified as fentanyl.
The total weight of the fentanyl pills was 29 pounds, enough to potentially cause catastrophic harm to millions. Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino expressed concern over the use of children in the smuggling scheme, emphasizing the lack of regard for human life.
The driver was arrested, and the narcotics and vehicle were handed over to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Bureau. The children were turned over to their father.
Operation Apollo, launched on October 26, 2023, in southern California and expanded to Arizona in April 2024, focuses on intelligence collection and partnerships to combat fentanyl smuggling into the United States.–News Desk