U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents seized over $300,000 worth of narcotics in two separate vehicle inspections at California border ports on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The seizures included fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, demonstrating ongoing smuggling attempts despite a significant drop in immigration crossings.
At the San Ysidro Port of Entry, agents referred a 2013 Honda Civic for secondary inspection after detecting anomalies in the car's firewall. They discovered six packages of fentanyl powder worth approximately $113,600 and 8.4 pounds of cocaine valued at $161,600. Meanwhile, at the Calexico East Port of Entry, agents found 63 packets of methamphetamine in a 2011 Nissan Cube after scanning the vehicle's flooring.
San Diego Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki praised the officers' vigilance, stating, 'Sunday may be a day of rest for many, but criminals don’t take days off, and neither do our CBP officers.' The agency attributes its success to enforcement strategies initiated under President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, even as border crossings have plummeted from over 144,000 encounters in December 2024 to just 10,000 in April 2026.