TUCSON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Port of Nogales discovered over 100 pounds of hard narcotics concealed in ceramic tile boxes with an estimated street value of more than $1,000,000.00.
A 63-year-old U.S. citizen man attempted to make entry into the United States through the Port of Nogales in his pickup truck and was referred for further inspection. While in secondary, CBP officers conducted a thorough inspection and noticed anomalies with the ceramic tile boxes.
After an alert by a CBP narcotics detection canine to a scent it is trained to detect, officers removed a total of 46 drug packages from the hollowed out tile boxes. The drugs were determined to be 71pounds of fentanyl pills (totaling nearly 300,000 pills), 25 pounds of heroin and more than six pounds of cocaine.
Area Port Director Michael Humphries stated, “This is a phenomenal seizure by our CBP Officers, who in the midst of the current pandemic, still remain focused and carry out the agency’s mission of protecting our frontlines.” He added, “In this case, officers prevented nearly 300,000 fentanyl pills, one of the most abused and dangerous opioids from reaching communities throughout the United States.”
The drugs were seized and the man was arrested and then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.