U.S. Border Agents Report Rise in Drug Smuggling via Car Batteries
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials in the San Diego Sector are reporting an uptick in drug smuggling attempts involving an unusual method: hiding narcotics inside car batteries.
Newsweek reached out to CBP for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has curbed illegal border crossings and is looking to prevent the flow of illicit narcotics into the country by drug cartels.
CBP agents have recently intercepted multiple shipments in which methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illicit substances were concealed within vehicle batteries. Border agents say the tactic is increasingly being used by traffickers seeking to bypass inspections.
What To Know
San Diego Sector agents have reported several drug seizures this year involving narcotics hidden inside vehicle batteries, according to CBP.
On April 14, agents discovered 32.8 pounds of fentanyl. On July 24, another stop led to the recovery of 4.85 pounds of fentanyl, and on July 28, officers found 16.2 pounds of fentanyl along with $1,000 in cash, according to CBP.
On August 20, Border Patrol agents, in coordination with the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, stopped a Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling north on Interstate 5 in Carlsbad, CBP said in a press release.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 9.25 pounds of cocaine and 2.1 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside the car's battery, the agency said.
The driver was taken into custody, and the narcotics were turned over to the Vista Sheriff's Station for processing, according to the release.
"This new phenomenon is evidence that increased efforts regarding drug enforcement are working," Ilan Katz, a criminal defense attorney in Mexico City, told Newsweek. "Smugglers are trying to adapt to the new reality, because their previous methods are no longer efficient. We will continue to see more creative ways to transport drugs as law enforcement methods progress."
"As we continue to gain, maintain, and expand operational control of the southern border, smugglers are going to great lengths to push dangerous drugs into this country," said Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the San Diego Sector Jeffrey D. Stalnaker.
Joseph Rood, a spokesperson for the Border Patrol's San Diego Sector, told a border reporter that cartels are increasingly turning to drug trafficking as they try to make up for lost profits from human smuggling.
San Diego Sector agents have seized 10,696 pounds of methamphetamine, 2,751 pounds of cocaine, 521 pounds of fentanyl, and 56 pounds of heroin so far this fiscal year, according to CBP.
What People Are Saying
Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the San Diego Sector Jeffrey D. Stalnaker said in a press release: "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."
CBP wrote in a press release: "In recent months, agents have intercepted multiple loads of drugs concealed under the hood in this manner."
Agent Joseph Rood, spokesman for Border Patrol San Diego Sector, told Border Report: "Since about April 2025, we've had four different seizures that involved basically removing the contents of the battery and using the battery as a containment device for narcotics."
"We've seen all manners of methods of concealing narcotics from car tires to baby car seats, hidden compartments, makeshift compartments, door panels, gas tanks—this is just a new method we've started to see a spike in," he said.
What Happens Next
Cartels are expected to keep testing new smuggling tactics as CBP tightens enforcement at the border under the Trump administration. In response, the agency says it will adapt inspection methods and expand the use of technology to detect hidden narcotics. The ongoing cat-and-mouse struggle highlights the evolving strategies of drug traffickers and the challenges agents face in safeguarding communities.