In an unconventional and risky attempt to smuggle narcotics, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Ysleta international crossing in El Paso intercepted a 41-year-old American man with fentanyl hidden inside his body. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the individual, a pedestrian border crosser, had concealed the drugs in his rectal cavity, totaling approximately one-third of a pound.
The CBP's discovery was the result of a secondary examination initiated shortly after 7 p.m. on March 31 when a primary officer, after a brief interview with the man, felt something was amiss, despite the man's attempt to pass through customs unnoticed, and a drug-sniffing dog later signaled the presence of narcotics. Officers faced resistance when the man refused a medical exam meant to confirm suspicions, leading to the involvement of a Homeland Security Investigations task force officer, whose quick action to secure a search warrant allowed hospital staff to perform an X-ray.
The medical exam performed just after midnight on April 1 confirmed the suspicions; there was indeed a foreign object inside the man, and CBP officers kept a vigil while he was under medical care. By 2 p.m. the same day, the man passed the packaged drugs, testing positive for fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that has been a player in the ongoing opioid crisis, with a weight of 0.31 pounds.
Following this incident, which underscores the lengths to which individuals will go to traffic illegal substances, "We cannot emphasize strongly enough exactly how dangerous this smuggling method is," said CBP Ysleta Port Director Arnie Gomez, as per U.S. Customs and Border Protection, outlining the mortal risks if the packaging were to break inside the man's body. The unnamed smuggler was arrested by CBP officers and handed over to HSI special agents, who are tasked with investigating the failed attempt and pressing charges against the individual for his actions.
