NOGALES, AZ — Millions of fentanyl pills are being seized at ports of entry like the one in Nogales, Arizona.
Located about two and a half hours from Phoenix, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection told ABC15 they’re on high alert looking for drugs coming into the states including fentanyl and the so-called “rainbow” fentanyl.
“Small children can come across a little bag of that and think it’s candy,” Michael Humphries, CBP port director.
Preliminary numbers show a dramatic increase in the amount of fentanyl seized this fiscal year.
According to CBP, in fiscal year 2022, nearly 13,000 lbs. of fentanyl has been caught by border officials which is about four times the amount compared to 2019.
"Yeah so several years we hardly saw any fentanyl at all,” said Humphries.
“Over the last three or four years it's just gone up year after year after year,” he added.
Humphries said most of the people coming into the states are here to shop, visit loved ones, or work. However, a small percentage are smuggling drugs.
He said people are trying to hide them in different parts of their vehicles.
Humphries said by using a multi-layered approach including K-9s and x-rays, officers can stop drugs from coming through.
According to CBP, the drugs being brought into the U.S. through the U.S.-Mexico border can be linked to the cartels.
But most of the people bringing the drugs over are from the U.S.
"Probably a larger majority are U.S. citizens, we have legal permanent residents, we have Mexican citizens and citizens of other countries as well,” he said.
Humphries said by cracking down on drugs at the border, officers hope to cut down on crime and save lives.
According to the CDC, about 71,000 died from fentanyl in 2021 which is up from 58,000 in 2020.
