Teenager Stopped At Border Crossing With Suspected Fake Fentanyl Pills

Click here to learn about other counterfeit medicine incidents in Arizona

According to KOLD 13, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) and their canines had a busy day on September 18th at the Port of Nogales and the Port of San Luis in Arizona. On three separate occasions, the dogs indicated to their handlers odors of illicit narcotics coming off of individuals attempting to enter into the country. The first two incidents happened at the Port of Nogales. In one incident, a 49-year-old Arizona man was found to have a little over one pound of powdered fentanyl taped to his legs. In the second incident, a canine picked up on a scent that required additional inspection of a vehicle. Hidden inside, officers found 77 pounds of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.

The third smuggling attempt took place at the Port of San Luis. Again, it was the discerning nose of the canine that alerted officers to inspect a 16-year-old as he attempted to enter from Mexico. Taped to the young man’s legs were packages that contained suspected counterfeit pills. The packages weighed over a quarter of a pound with an estimated street value of approximately $10,500.

This is not the first time CPB has found fentanyl pills at the Port of San Luis. In July, a 43-year-old man was stopped as he attempted to cross into the country on foot carrying the same weight of suspected fake fentanyl pills. In August, what started out as a routine traffic stop ended up revealing an abandoned KFC was being used as the endpoint for a drug tunnel that started on the other side of the border, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

If you would like to learn more about other counterfeit drug incidents in Arizona, please read PSM’s 2018 Arizona Infosheet.