EL PASO, TEXAS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso, seized fentanyl and methamphetamine. The drugs were hidden in a bicycle being used by a 32-year-old male U.S. citizen.
“History has shown that smugglers will employ any and all means in their efforts to introduce dangerous contraband into the United States,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “The combination of CBP officers’ experience, high-technology tools, and canine support all played a role in stopping this drug load.”
The events leading to the seizure began just after 3 p.m. April 9 when the man arrived from Mexico. The primary CBP officer selected the man for a secondary exam after noting anomalies in the appearance of his bicycle. A CBP drug sniffing dog searched the bike and alerted to the presence of narcotics. CBP officers then scanned the bicycle with multiple nonintrusive systems and spotted bundles in the frame of the bike.
The bicycle was dismantled and CBP officers removed two bundles from a hollow space in the frame. One contained 0.18 pounds of fentanyl while the other contained 0.40 pounds of methamphetamine.
CBP officers arrested the cyclist. He was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for prosecution and will face importation of a controlled substance charges.