Customs officials seize massive load of methamphetamine, fentanyl worth nearly $4.4 million

A 47-year-old Phoenix man was arrested on Monday after he allegedly attempted to enter the United States with nearly 880 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 110 pounds of suspected fentanyl, worth nearly $4.4 million together, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced.

Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Luke, Arizona, inspected the 2008 Roadmaster RV of the man as he attempted to cross the border into the U.S.

A CBP narcotics canine detected drugs, leading the officers to find "129 packages of drugs hidden within the roof mounted A/C unit," according to officials.

Law enforcement seized the RV and the almost half-ton of drugs. The man was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. 

"Our CBP officers remain focused on their mission of protecting our nation’s borders and keeping dangerous drugs from reaching our communities," Port Director Peter Bachelier said.

Fentanyl is an incredibly dangerous synthetic opioid and deaths attributed to it have soared during the pandemic. One kilogram of fentanyl can kill 500,000 people, the Drug Enforcement Administration states. This means the Phoenix man was bringing in enough fentanyl to kill about 25 million people.