NOGALES, Ariz. (KVOA/NBC) – The U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the largest fentanyl seizure in their history.
Nearly 650 pounds of illegal drugs, fentanyl and methamphetamines, were seized on Saturday at the Nogales Port of Entry in Arizona.
The drugs, consisting of nearly 254 pounds of fentanyl and 395 pounds of methamphetamine, were discovered in a tractor-trailer carrying produce into the United States.
The 26-year old Mexican driver of the vehicle was arrested and charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute and is currently in federal custody. No other arrests have been made.
“The drugs that you see next to me were attempted to be smuggled into the United States from Mexico concealed within a tractor-trailer transporting produce,” said Port of Nogales CBP Director Michael Humphries. “Nearly 650 pounds of illegal drugs were removed that consisted of more than 100 packages of fentanyl, mainly in powder form and of 10 which were pill form, with a weight of nearly 254 pounds and an estimated value of $3.5 million. This represents that largest fentanyl seizure in CBP history.”
Law enforcement officials say fentanyl is now seen mostly as a white powder that can be mixed with heroin and has become the biggest source of fatal overdoses in the U.S.
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