CBP Officers intercept woman transporting drugs in multiple internal cavities

EL PASO, TEXAS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso seized fentanyl and methamphetamine April 13. The drugs were hidden in the rectum and vagina of a 33-year-old female U.S. citizen pedestrian border crosser.

The smuggling case was not an isolated incident. Over the weekend, CBP officers working at the PDN and Ysleta crossings stopped a total of nine internal carriers who were transporting fentanyl and methamphetamine from Mexico to the U.S.

Mixed drug load seized by CBP.

"This is an exceptionally dangerous practice, and anyone thinking about smuggling drugs inside their body-or at all-should strongly reconsider their choices," said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. "Not only are the legal consequences severe, but the results could be lethal if the packaging were to rupture inside their bodies."

The events leading to the PDN seizure began just after midnight when a CBP canine team performed a sweep of pedestrians waiting in line to enter the U.S. The canine alerted to the presence of narcotics when passing a female border crosser who was in the line.

CBP officers selected the woman for a secondary exam and identified indicators consistent with the internal concealment of drugs. A Texas Department of Public Safety officer initiated an investigation and obtained a search warrant authorizing a medical exam. The woman was transported to an area medical center where a CT scan confirmed the presence of foreign objects concealed internally.

The woman then removed the bundles. The contents of one package which contained a crystal substance tested positive for methamphetamine with a total weight 0.02786 kilograms. A second bundle containing blue pills tested positive for fentanyl with a total weight of 0.05212 kilograms. A third package, containing a powder, tested positive for the properties of fentanyl with a total weight of 0.03732 kilograms.

The drugs and the woman were turned over to Texas DPS for prosecution.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.