Customs and Border Protection officers at the Paso Del Norte international crossing made a disturbing find last Wednesday, as they apprehended a U.S. citizen attempting to smuggle fentanyl concealed within her body. In a statement provided by Customs and Border Protection newsroom, officers encountered the 40-year-old woman just before the dawn of a new day, leading to a secondary examination where the illicit activity came to light.
The quiet of the early morning was disrupted by a discovery that could have easily turned tragic. The female pedestrian, initially appearing to be just another face in the crowd crossing the border, was selected swiftly to undergo additional screening. Here, the woman confessed to carrying a foreign object internally, a decision potentially as lethal as it is unlawful.
Following her admission, CBP personnel transported her to a local medical facility for a thorough examination. Medical professionals carefully removed the package, which tested positive for the powerful synthetic opioid, fentanyl—weighing in at 113 grams. The successful retrieval of the drugs likely prevented a deadly scenario; a breach in the packaging could have proved fatal. After medical clearance, the woman was returned to the point of entry and placed under arrest.
CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio spoke on the incident, emphasizing the grave risk involved: "This is an exceptionally dangerous practice and could be lethal if the packaging were to fail during transport," he stated to Customs and Border Protection newsroom. The message was clear: partaking in smuggling activities, especially of this nature, is to gamble recklessly with one's life. Homeland Security Investigations special agents have since taken over the case, and the woman is now facing federal charges for the attempted drug trafficking.
