Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels is commending Customs and Border (CBP) officers for making a massive fentanyl bust this week.
According to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, on January 12, 2024, special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Douglas HIDTA Joint Port Enforcement Group (JPEG) reported the seizure of approximately 55.9 Kilograms (approximately 372,667 pills) of fentanyl and the arrest of a United States citizen for violations of federal law.
On January 12, 2024, the suspect attempted to enter the United States from Mexico via the Douglas Port of Entry in a Ford F-150. The suspect was referred to a secondary inspection by CBP officers after anomalies were detected in the bed of the F-150. During further inspection, officers discovered fentanyl pills concealed in the bed of the pickup truck.
The Sheriff’s Office says officers showed “attention to detail at the highest level.”
Sheriff Dannels commended the officers’ “professionalism” that “resulted in keeping poison out of our communities.”
“Every pill that is taken off the street is a life saved. We work in a collective effort between all of our local, state, and federal partners to ensure the safety of our citizens in Cochise County and ultimately throughout the United States. There does not appear to be a decrease to the importation of fentanyl and other poisons through our southern border, but we will continue to work towards a solution,” Sheriff Dannels said.