Nogales Border Agents Clobber Drug Trade, Seizing Over 1.5 Million Fentanyl Pills in September

By Daniel Stefanski |

Federal agents made significant drug seizures at the Nogales port of entry this month, demonstrating heightened vigilance against narcotics trafficking. On September 23, Michael W. Humphries, the Area Port Director for Customs and Border Protection (CBP), reported that officers confiscated over 1.5 million fentanyl pills within a span of four days.

The drugs were found hidden in vehicles. On September 5, approximately 527,000 pills were seized from a car. The following day, CBP officers discovered around 1,014,000 pills concealed within another vehicle. A smaller quantity of 54,813 pills was located within a car’s battery on September 8.

Shortly after these large fentanyl seizures, Humphries revealed another concerning find: over 341 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the structural beams of a rail box car, highlighting the diverse methods traffickers use to smuggle drugs.

The Tucson CPB Field Office has been active in combating this crisis, intercepting more than 30,000 pounds of fentanyl in Fiscal Year 2024. This figure comes as the fiscal year nears its end, compared to over 25,000 pounds apprehended the previous year.

Despite these efforts, the scale of drug trafficking remains alarming. A 2022 report from The Washington Post estimated that federal agents capture only 5 to 10 percent of the drugs that cross the border from Mexico, emphasizing the ongoing difficulties in halting fentanyl trafficking.

For further insights and updates on drug enforcement efforts, stay tuned to reports from AZ Free News.