San Luis, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Area Port of San Luis seized over 175 pounds of hard-narcotics in a weekend smuggling attempt.
The incident occurred on Saturday September 28, at approximately 10:30 p.m., when CBP officers encountered an 18-year-old male driving a Chevrolet SUV applying for entry from Mexico at the San Luis I Port of Entry. The teenager, a United States citizen, was referred for further examination.
In the secondary inspection area, CBP officers used non-intrusive technology to screen the SUV revealing anomalies throughout the vehicle. A canine unit also responded and alerted to the presence of narcotics.
During an extensive search of the vehicle, CBP officers discovered and extracted 140 packages of narcotics concealed within the doors, quarter panels, and floor of the vehicle. Three (3) of the packages contained over seven (7) pounds of white fentanyl powder, 27 of the packages contained nearly 61 pounds of blue fentanyl pills, and 110 packages contained approximately 107.5 pounds of methamphetamine.
The seized narcotics had an estimated street value of $1,000,666.
“Unfortunately, this is a method of smuggling that we continue to encounter with narcotic traffickers utilizing teenagers to smuggle dangerous drugs,” stated Chris Leon, Area Port Director for San Luis. “I encourage young people to really think about what they are getting involved in and implore them to use good judgment, because ultimately there are consequences for one’s actions.”
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle. The 18-year-old was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.