CINCINNATI—Over the past five days, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed in Cincinnati seized a total of 134 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at $1.2 million, from nine separate shipments. The nine packages were addressed to people in in the United States and Australia.
CBP seized the narcotics during Operation Overdose, after officers x-rayed shipments from Mexico and Canada and noticed some anomalies requiring a closer look. Officers found methamphetamine disguised as pastes, powders, and liquids, all intermingled with various dietary supplements, oils, and smuggled in cans of coconut water.
“Our officers are focused on their mission to protect our homeland,” said Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie. “Smugglers constantly try to send illegal drugs into the country, but our officers are there to stop these dangerous narcotics from reaching our citizens.”
Methamphetamine is a dangerous and highly addictive stimulant and its abuse can lead to aggression, psychosis, convulsions, stroke, and death. Methamphetamine abuse is on the rise in the U.S.—from 2017 to 2019, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) domestic seizures of methamphetamine increased 127 percent, and DEA arrests related to methamphetamine rose nearly 20 percent.
CBP conducts operations at ports of entry throughout the United States, and regularly screens arriving international passengers and cargo for narcotics, weapons, and other restricted or prohibited products. CBP strives to serve as the premier law enforcement agency enhancing the Nation’s safety, security, and prosperity through collaboration, innovation, and integration.