Second arrest in a week of a Philly CBP narcotics seizure.
PHILADELPHIA – For the second time in a week, authorities arrested a subject following a Customs and Border Protection narcotics seizure in Philadelphia.
CBP officers examined a parcel on September 25 that arrived from Amsterdam in international mail. In the parcel, officers discovered a vacuum-sealed bag that contained grey pills labeled “Red Bull.” A field test identified the pills as MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. The ecstasy weighed 322 grams, or about 11 ounces, and was destined to an address in Boynton Beach, Florida.
CBP turned the ecstasy over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents.
On October 6, local authorities arrested a Delray Beach, Florida man on narcotics charges. Their investigation continues.
Also on Tuesday, HSI agents in Hartford, Connecticut arrested a subject following CBP’s seizure of ketamine concealed inside six picture frames.
According to the DEA, MDMA is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. In high doses, MDMA can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature. On occasions, this can lead to a sharp increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), resulting in liver, kidney, and cardiovascular system failure, and death.
“Customs and Border Protection officers remain steadfast in our commitment to intercepting dangerous drugs at our nation’s borders and working with our law enforcement partners to hold smugglers accountable,” said Casey Durst, Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office. “Our primary mission is to protect our nation and our citizens and we will continue do that with our law enforcement partners through our collective and aggressive narcotics interdiction effort.”
CBP seized an average of 3,707 pounds of dangerous drugs every day across the United States last year. Learn more about what CBP accomplished during “A Typical Day” in 2019.
CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.
Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.