U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in the Yuma Sector apprehended seven illegal aliens on Thursday. One of the subjects was carrying a backpack containing fentanyl pills.
Wellton Station Target Enforcement Unit agents intercepted the group of illegal aliens near the Camp Grip Forward Operating Base just west of Lukeville, Arizona. During a search of the area, a backpack was discovered containing 212 grams of fentanyl pills rolled up in material covered with tape, according to a CBP press release.
The pills have a street value of approximately $5,500, according to CBP. A 55-year-old Mexican national claimed ownership of the pills. The fentanyl was seized and destroyed, and the group was processed according to Yuma Sector guidelines.
Besides being an extremely toxic substance to the user, Fentanyl also poses a risk to law enforcement personnel that may be exposed to the harmful substance. Fentanyl is a deadly synthetic opioid that is 50 times more powerful than heroin, according to the CDC.
In September, an illegal alien from Mexico living in the state of Georiga was sentenced to six years in federal prison after being found with enough fentanyl to kill 500,000 people.
