U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Ysleta international crossing in El Paso, Texas, intercepted a man attempting to smuggle fentanyl by concealing it inside his body. Approximately one-third of a pound of the drug was found hidden in the rectum of a 41-year-old male U.S. citizen who was trying to cross the border on foot.
Port Director Arnie Gomez from CBP Ysleta highlighted the dangers of such methods, stating, “We cannot emphasize strongly enough exactly how dangerous this smuggling method is. If the concealment packaging were to rupture the results could be lethal.”
The incident began in the evening of March 31, when the man arrived from Mexico. After a brief interview, a CBP officer decided to conduct a secondary exam. A drug-sniffing dog indicated the presence of narcotics, which suggested the potential concealment of drugs in the man's body.
The man refused a medical examination to confirm the presence of a foreign object. Consequently, a Homeland Security Investigations officer obtained a search warrant, which permitted medical personnel to x-ray the man. The x-ray revealed a foreign object, and the man was monitored by CBP officers during medical care until he passed a bundle of multiple tablets weighing 0.31 pounds, which tested positive for fentanyl.
Following this, CBP officers arrested the man who was then handed over to HSI agents for further legal proceedings.
CBP, recognized as the world's first unified border management agency and the largest law enforcement organization in the U.S., employs over 65,000 personnel. The agency upholds security and facilitates safe travel and trade, enhancing economic prosperity and national security.
