Sunday, November 26, 2017

Fentanyl seizures skyrocket at AZ border as deaths double in US


5 pounds of fentanyl were smuggled in this stroller
The amount of fentanyl seized this year at Arizona’s ports of entry on the Mexico border skyrocketed 600 percent over last year. Nearly 140 pounds were seized this year at Arizona’s ports, enough for almost 32 million fatal doses, and enough to make traffickers up to $1.3 billion. Fentanyl seizures at Arizona ports of entry jumped from 20 pounds in fiscal 2016 to nearly 140 pounds in fiscal 2017.
About 950 pounds of fentanyl were seized nationwide by CBP from October 2016 to the end of August 2017, more than double the 440 pounds seized in fiscal 2016. The number of people who died from overdoses of fentanyl and fentanyl variations in the U.S. doubled from last January to this January, from 9,945 to 20,145.

Fentanyl trade occurs across the southwest border both to Mexico from the U.S. and vice versa for manufacturing and consumption, according to the DEA. The supply lines for fentanyl are the same as the ones used for heroin