U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted large amounts of illegal fentanyl last week.
Agents in California stopped a 2007 grey Toyota Camry in Escondido, California and found 46 pounds of illegal narcotics hidden inside, including five pounds of fentanyl. It was enough fentanyl to kill 1.2 million people, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The 49-year-old driver, a Mexican citizen, was in the country on a tourist visa at the time of the arrest. In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said they maintain "a high level of vigilance" in areas of egress away from the country's borders.
Yesterday, #USBP agents patrolling I-15 in Escondido, seized 46lbs of dangerous drugs. This included 5lbs of fentanyl. Enough to kill 1.2 million people! Our agents protect America 24/7. Their vigilance keeps deadly drugs like this out of our communities. https://t.co/2nJBkp8BV2 pic.twitter.com/QZLQFT90sM
— Acting Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk (@USBPDepChiefSDC) March 6, 2020
Last Thursday, Border Patrol agents arrested two American teens at an immigration checkpoint in Arizona who were attempting to smuggle in a large amount of fentanyl. A canine alerted agents to an odor during an inspection of a shuttle van. Two 15-year-olds, both U.S. citizens, were removed from the vehicle and a large quantity of fentanyl was found taped to the suspects' legs. According to a press release, the weight of the fentanyl taped was roughly the same amount of 504,000 lethal doses.
Fentanyl is a deadly synthetic opioid that is 50 times more powerful than heroin, according to the CDC.