Drug traffickers at the southern border are getting more creative, with vehicle batteries now becoming a favored method for smuggling.
The U.S. Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector has uncovered a concerning pattern of smugglers hiding dangerous narcotics inside car batteries.
Since April 2025, there have been “four separate seizures where the materials inside vehicle batteries were removed and the batteries used as containers for drugs,” explained Joseph Rood, a spokesperson for Border Patrol, to Border Report.
Recent drug seizures involving vehicle batteries in San Diego
The latest incident of drug concealment in a car battery was on August 20, when Border Patrol agents pulled over a vehicle in Carlsbad, located in northern San Diego County. A search unearthed 9.25 pounds of cocaine alongside 2.1 pounds of methamphetamine stashed inside the battery.
In July, agents uncovered over 20 pounds of fentanyl hidden inside vehicle batteries during two separate drug smuggling attempts.
In April, a vehicle search led to the discovery of over 30 pounds of fentanyl concealed inside the vehicle’s battery.
“As we work to maintain and increase operational control over the southern border, traffickers are going to extreme measures to bring hazardous drugs into the U.S.,” stated Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, Acting Chief Patrol Agent for the San Diego Sector.
Per the Border Patrol’s reports, the San Diego Sector has confiscated 10,696 pounds of methamphetamine, 2,751 pounds of cocaine, 521 pounds of fentanyl, and 56 pounds of heroin in this fiscal year.
Other smuggling methods
Over the years, drug smugglers have used a variety of methods to sneak illicit narcotics into the U.S.
“We’ve encountered numerous tactics for hiding drugs, from blending them into car tires, baby car seats, secreted compartments, custom panels, and gas tanks. This battery method is simply a recent trend we’ve noticed growing,” Rood noted.
Smuggling crackdowns extend beyond the border
On Monday, the Coast Guard offloaded more than 76,000 pounds of narcotics in Florida, the largest offload in its history, as previously reported by .
The offload included 61,740 pounds of cocaine and 14,400 pounds of marijuana, amounting to nearly $500 million worth of illegal drugs.
“The 61,740 pounds of cocaine represent 23 million potentially lethal doses, that’s enough to fatally overdose the entire population of the state of Florida,” U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Adam Chamie said.
The seized contraband resulted from 19 interdictions in the international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
