Drug smugglers are now hiding contraband in car batteries, as demonstrated by a recent cocaine and methamphetamine seizure in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO — Drug smugglers crossing into San Diego from Mexico are turned to a new strategy for hiding their contraband: car batteries.
The most recent example occurred on when Aug. 20, San Diego Sector agents partnered with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office intercepted a northbound Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling Interstate 5 near Carlsbad, California.
Drugs inside car batteries
A search of the vehicle revealed 9.25 pounds of cocaine and 2.1 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside the battery. The suspect, along with the confiscated drugs, was arrested and booked into the Vista jail.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), this is not an isolated incident. Other notable seizures involving battery concealment this year include 32.8 pounds of fentanyl discovered in April 2025, 4.85 pounds of fentanyl in July, and 16.2 pounds of fentanyl along with $1,000 in cash later that same month.
“As we continue to gain operational control of the southern border, smugglers are going to great lengths to push dangerous drugs into this country,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Stalnaker of the San Diego Sector. “But the Border Patrol is using every possible resource to dismantle the criminal networks that threaten American communities. I am deeply proud of the work our agents do every day.”
Since the start of this fiscal year, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents have seized 10,696 pounds of methamphetamine, 2,751 pounds of cocaine, 521 pounds of fentanyl, and 56 pounds of heroin, according to official CBP data.
The recent uptick in battery-related smuggling attempts adds to the ongoing challenge faced by law enforcement as traffickers modify their smuggling tactics in response to heightened enforcement across the region.