Contributed Photo: More than 22 pounds of fentanyl similar to what is pictured was seized in two separate incidents Monday.
Contributed Article/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection
TUCSON – More than 22 pounds of fentanyl, which is deadly in minute amounts, was seized at two border crossings in Arizona this week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Phoenix resident after seizing more than 21 pounds of suspected fentanyl from him at Arizona’s Port of Lukeville on Monday.
Officers referred the 25-year-old U.S. citizen for a secondary inspection of his Ford SUV as he applied to re-enter the United States from Mexico Sunday afternoon. A CBP canine alerted to an odor it is trained to detect, leading officers to the discovery of multiple packages inside the motor area of the vehicle, worth approximately $291,000.
Officers arrested the subject and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, while the drugs and the vehicle were seized.
Meth and fentanyl seized in Nogales
Also on Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of Nogales arrested a Sonoran resident connected with a failed attempt to smuggle a combination of methamphetamine and suspected fentanyl into the United States.
CBP officers at the Dennis DeConcini Crossing referred the 28-year-old woman for further inspection of her Toyota sedan Monday morning. A CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to a scent it was trained to detect within the vehicle’s floor. Officers removed multiple packages of drugs, which were identified as nearly 30 pounds of methamphetamine, worth more than $842,000 as well as more than one pound of suspected fentanyl, with an estimated value $15,000.
Officers seized the drugs as well as the vehicle. The woman was arrested and then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by the complaint, a method that allows for the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Please feel free to call 1-877-227-5511 toll free. Reporting illicit activity could result in saving someone’s life.
