Arizona border officials net staggering amount of fentanyl pills at Nogales

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Nogales, Arizona seized a “massive” amount of fentanyl pills at the Port of Entry on Saturday. 

Port Director Michael W. Humphries said officers seized an 18-wheeler and found it to be packed with illicit pills, cocaine, fentanyl powder, heroin, and cocaine. 

Humphries said there was around 1.27 million pills and more than 100 pounds of cocaine found in the trailer’s floor compartment. 

Two pounds of fentanyl, 13 pounds of heroin, 10 pounds of cocaine, and around 300,000 pills were found in hidden in the vehicle floor, Humphries said. 

No additional information about the seizure or the driver was released. 

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The seizure came just several days after CBP agents at the Nogales Port of Entry seized more than 15,000 “candy”-looking fentanyl pills. It marked the second consecutive day the pills were found. 

Humphries said it “could be the start of a trend with transnational criminal organizations targeting younger users.” 

Fentanyl-related overdose deaths have skyrocketed in the U.S. in recent years. Many victims unknowingly consume clandestine produced pills laced with fentanyl. 

The synthetic opioid is typically used for treating severe pain and is 50-100 times more potent than morphine. Illicit fentanyl is now primarily made in Mexico from precursors manufactured in China, and then trafficked across the southern land border.

According to government figures released last week, seizures of fentanyl jumped more than 200% in July. 

Fox News’ Adam Sabes and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.