EL PASO, TEXAS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso seized 12.14 pounds of fentanyl and 0.3 pounds of cocaine on April 21. The drugs were hidden in a scooter being driven by an 18-year-old female U.S. citizen.
“Smugglers will use any means possible in their attempts to introduce drugs into our communities," said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “CBP officers remain vigilant because any one of the thousands of arriving vehicles we encounter daily could be transporting drugs."
The seizure was made at 8 p.m. when members of CBP's Mobile Enforcement Team noted anomalies in the appearance of a red motor scooter with a single female rider that arrived from Mexico. CBP officers selected the vehicle for a secondary exam.
A CBP drug sniffing dog searched the conveyance and alerted to the scooter. A nonintrusive, Z-Portal scan of the vehicle also indicated anomalies in the battery compartment.
CBP officers continued their exam and removed seven bundles from the compartment. One bundle contained cocaine, two held fentanyl pills, and the remaining four packages were filled with powdered fentanyl.
CBP officers arrested the driver. She was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face federal charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.