ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Customs officers at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ ports seized more than 1,300 pounds of fentanyl in August, according to Customs and Border Protection data released Monday. The August amount was more than twice as high as July’s, which was also a record-setter and more than twice as high as in most previous months.

Away from the ports, seizures are made by Border Patrol agents and at ports they’re made by Customs officers. Customs officers at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ ports in August seized more fentanyl than all other officers and agents throughout the country’s border regions combined, which had a total of 975 pounds of fentanyl seizures in August.

The Nogales port of entry is the main place ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ seizures are made. By the end of July, Nogales port seizures had exceeded 5 million fentanyl pills this fiscal year.

There have been many more seized since then, including 1.57 million fentanyl pills over one weekend in August, about 400,000 fentanyl pills over last weekend — of which about 30,000 were rainbow colored like candy; and about 36,800 fentanyl pills and 4.85 pounds of fentanyl powder found in the gas tank of a vehicle in Nogales on Monday.

Border Patrol seizures of fentanyl in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ also set records in August. The Border Patrol seized 207 pounds in the state.

While that’s much less than at the ports, it is still substantially higher than any other month on record, with the closest being 150 pounds in October 2021. Like at the ports, individual seizures are getting larger.

“We continue to see a rising number of seizures of fentanyl over time ... but we really can’t comment as to why there is an increased flow,� said Customs and Border Protection spokesman John Mennell.

CBP officers and agents make the seizures as people attempt to smuggle the drugs across the border, but agencies including Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigate where the drugs originate from.

The main states for fentanyl smuggling are ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and California. Typically, ports on the southern border in California see higher amounts. In July, the San Diego Customs officers had a record amount of seizures at 1,121 pounds. But as the amount skyrocketed in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, it fell in San Diego to only 368 pounds seized at ports in August.

Just because ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ surpassed Southern California for one month doesn’t mean that is a trend, but it is something law enforcement is monitoring, said Scott Brown, Homeland Security Investigations Phoenix special agent in charge.

California saw more personal-use seizures while ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ saw more bulk-quantity smuggling.

Despite the large increase in the amount of fentanyl seized, the number of seizure events at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ ports in July and August was identical, which was because of a few very large seizures, Brown said.

“Hopefully, those seizures will convince them that maybe smuggling in that kind of quantity is a risk to their business model,� he said.

The main reason fentanyl numbers are so high in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is because the Sinaloa Cartel, in Sonora, is the primary producer of the synthetic opioid. The cartel also has a significant footprint south of San Diego, Brown said.

“As they consolidate that power, which is something they’re always striving to do, we’re going to see increased fentanyl coming into our state,� Brown said.

While this fentanyl is entering the U.S. in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, it is intended to go throughout the country. Transnational criminal organizations have moved toward fentanyl as the demand for it in the U.S. has grown.

Part of the increase in demand is due to the fact that regular fentanyl users develop a tolerance and need to take larger quantities to get the same high, Brown said.

“So now we’re getting to the point where we have people addicted to fentanyl, who are having to take more and more, and certainly the cartels are willing to supply more and more to meet that demand,� he said.

Along with the increase in amounts, there is also a higher purity, which increases the risk of overdoses, he said.

There were nearly 81,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. involving opioids in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control, a 15% increase over 2020.

Here in Pima County, opioids in general, including fentanyl, contributed to at least 71% of the 498 overdose deaths during the 2021 calendar year, the county health department said.

Aside from what law enforcement agencies do to intercede drugs coming into the country, there also needs to be a strong effort at making sure there are treatment options for those who have become addicted, Brown said.

“We are trying to make sure there are treatment resources out there,� he said. “Again, like many things, there’s a problem where law enforcement plays a piece of it, but it’s not a problem that we’re going to arrest our way out of or seize our way out of alone.�