In a historic operation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Lukeville have seized approximately 4 million blue fentanyl pills, weighing over 1,000 pounds, marking the largest single fentanyl seizure in CBP history.
“This unprecedented seizure underscores our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation and disrupting the illicit activities of ruthless drug cartels,” stated Troy Miller, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner. “CBP officers and agents are on the front lines daily, utilizing their expertise and advanced technology to stop deadly drugs from infiltrating our communities.”
The significant seizure took place on July 1 when a 20-year-old Arizona resident attempted to enter the U.S. at the Port of Lukeville, driving a 2011 pickup truck hauling a sport recreational vehicle on a utility trailer. Upon a detailed inspection, CBP officers detected anomalies in the trailer’s frame. With the help of a CBP canine team, they uncovered 234 packages of drugs hidden within the trailer’s structure, amounting to approximately 4 million fentanyl pills.
Guadalupe Ramirez, Director of Field Operations for the Tucson Field Office, praised the Port of Lukeville team for this groundbreaking drug interception, stating, “The volume of dangerous drugs intercepted by our officers will not reach communities across the United States.”
In a separate incident at the same port, officers seized about 270 pounds of methamphetamine on July 12. A 45-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck towing a utility trailer was apprehended after CBP officers discovered 39 packages of methamphetamine totaling nearly 272 pounds, along with an additional five pounds of cocaine.
The estimated street value of these seizures exceeds $12.6 million.
These significant operations were part of Operation Apollo-Arizona and Operation Plaza Spike. Operation Apollo-Arizona is a collaborative counter-fentanyl initiative focused on intelligence collection, disrupting drug supply lines, and strengthening law enforcement partnerships. Operation Plaza Spike targets cartel territories south of the U.S., aiming to disrupt the logistical chokepoints within cartel operations.
Federal law allows officers to file charges for criminal activity by complaint, emphasizing that an individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. CBP’s Office of Field Operations, as the primary organization within Homeland Security, leads efforts in anti-terrorism at U.S. ports, screening all entrants and enforcing laws related to narcotics interdiction, immigration, trade, and the protection of the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry.
