EL PASO, Texas – A 56-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle fentanyl through the Bridge of the Americas port of entry by concealing the drugs in his body, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
CBP officials said the arrest happened around 4 a.m. on July 18 when the man presented himself for inspection at the pedestrian crossing. A CBP canine alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.
Following the alert, officers suspected the man may be concealing drugs. He was transported to a local medical facility, where authorities say an examination confirmed the presence of foreign objects in his rectum.
Roughly 90 minutes later, CBP says the man passed two condom-wrapped bundles. One allegedly contained a white powder that tested positive for fentanyl, weighing 81.6 grams. According to CBP, the other contained blue pills that also tested positive for fentanyl, with a weight of 50.8 grams.
“Smuggling fentanyl internally is exceptionally dangerous, and we would advise anyone considering this to think twice and not risk their life or liberty,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “CBP has multiple layers of enforcement to identify and stop these smuggling attempts.”
The man was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and is facing charges related to the smuggling attempt.
