The seizure of a significant amount of fentanyl and cocaine by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at eight South Texas ports of entry underscores “the deadly nature of the contraband,” a field operations director said.
Randy Howe, director of field operations for the Laredo Field Office, commented on the fiscal year 2021 (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021) seizures that included “588 pounds of fentanyl, up 1,066 percent from FY 2020,” and “8,592 pounds of cocaine, up 98 percent from FY 20,” a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
“Faced with significantly less traffic due to travel restrictions imposed for public health reasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the drug and contraband threat remained the same and our frontline CBP officers rose to the challenge to meet that threat head on,” Howe said in the press release.
A powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, the National Institute on Drug Abuse said.
"It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse said. “Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery.”
Cocaine, which is an addictive stimulant drug made from coca plant leaves native to South America, can be used for valid medical purposes, including “local anesthesia for some surgeries,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse said. However, “recreational cocaine use is illegal.”
During the FY2021, 87,652 pounds of narcotics were seized at eight ports of entry that extend from Brownsville to Del Rio, the press release said. The street value of the narcotics was $786 million.
