Arizona fentanyl bust biggest ever for CBP

United States Customs and Border Protection agents just announced their largest fentanyl seizure ever.

The announcement on Thursday related to half a ton of fentanyl seized at the Port of Lukeville on July 1, as it was being trafficked in the United States by a 20-year-old citizen from Arizona.

In the man’s pick-up truck, law enforcement with canine help determined that there were 4 million blue fentanyl pills stored in the truck within 234 packages, according to a news release from the agency. In total, the pills weighed over 1,000 pounds.

“This is the largest fentanyl seizure in CBP’s history, and reflects our unwavering determination to protect our nation and to disrupt the criminal activities of ruthless drug cartels,” Troy Miller, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, said in a statement. “Every day, CBP officers and agents are on our front line, using their keen instincts and the latest technology to prevent deadly drugs from entering our country and poisoning our communities.”

The agency will regularly publicize major seizures along the border in the Tucson Sector and throughout other sectors, including in Texas and California. CBP conducts many seizures, but other law enforcement agencies including the Arizona Department of Public Safety, as well as county sheriffs and local police departments, will do drug busts on vehicles frequently. The Center Square reported that other drugs, such as meth and cocaine, were also seized at the Arizona border with Mexico, including at the Area Port of San Luis in mid-July. As for the Lukeville port, CBP said an estimated 272 pounds of meth and five pounds of cocaine were confiscated on July 12.

“This is an enormous amount of dangerous drugs that officers at the Port of Lukeville prevented from reaching communities throughout the United States,” Guadalupe Ramirez, Director of Field Operations, Tucson Field Office, said in response to the bust.

Lukeville came into the national spotlight in December with the month-long closure of its port of entry, as federal authorities were overwhelmed with the influx of migrants crossing illegally in the region. Gov. Katie Hobbs eventually deployed the Arizona National Guard to the area to assist state authorities.