A CBP memo warns border officials to be watchful of a “trailer smuggling trend.” The tactic to smuggle fentanyl through the U.S.-Mexico border involves hiding the drugs inside of the side rails and metal framings of livestock trailers.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug that carries a high risk of addiction. Fentanyl that is made illegally is often mixed with other drugs, including heroin and cocaine. According to a May report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, synthetic opioids like fentanyl contribute to nearly 70% of overdose deaths.
Officials believe they are only able to catch between 5% and 10% of the drugs smuggled into the United States. Citing numbers from the port director in Nogales, Arizona, where the alert originated, the outlet notes that 45.8 million fentanyl pills were seized in 2023. The director said that nearly 24 million have been seized during fiscal year 2024.
CBP launched a new strategy alongside the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security to stop the trafficking of fentanyl, starting with the southern border from Arizona, in Nogales, Sonora.
In addition to fentanyl, local residents and authorities have encountered migrants who committed crimes before they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.