TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 17 pounds of fentanyl at the Interstate 19 Immigration Checkpoint near Amado, Arizona, Thursday morning.
Tucson Sector agents at the primary inspection lane encountered a 25-year-old woman driving a Chevrolet Trailblazer around 10:30 a.m. Following a trained canine’s alert, agents referred the vehicle to secondary inspection, where X-ray scans revealed anomalies within a medical respirator on the backseat. Agents found multiple packages of suspected fentanyl pills concealed inside it.
medical respirator
The highly dangerous opioid pills have an approximate street value of $188,000.
The U.S. citizen driver from Nogales, Arizona, was arrested and the fentanyl pills and vehicle seized. The case has since been taken over by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Individuals can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. Reporting illicit activity could result in saving someone’s life.
For more details regarding this media release or to schedule a remote interview via the LiveU system, please contact the Tucson Border Patrol Sector Public Affairs Office at tca-pao@cbp.dhs.gov or at 520-387-3210.