U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly 50 pounds of fentanyl concealed inside a pickup truck’s spare tire at the Presidio Port of Entry, the agency announced Monday.
The seizure occurred during the early morning hours of July 15 after a man driving a 2018 Dodge Ram arrived from Ojinaga, Mexico, and requested entry into the United States.
Officers used nonintrusive inspection technology and detected an anomaly in the truck’s spare tire, according to CBP. The vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection, where officers discovered 22.4 kilograms, or about 49.4 pounds, of fentanyl hidden inside the tire. (Customs and Border Protection)
The driver, identified only as a U.S. citizen, was arrested and turned over to federal authorities. CBP said he faces allegations involving the importation of a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute.
“Fentanyl is a highly addictive and dangerous narcotic, and I am pleased that we prevented it from reaching our streets,” Ray Provencio, CBP’s director of field operations in El Paso, said in a statement.
Provencio said the seizure demonstrates the importance of investing in trained officers and inspection technology at the nation’s ports of entry.
The Presidio port connects Presidio, Texas, with Ojinaga in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
