CBP: Fentanyl Smugglers Increasing Use of U.S. Mail, Express Carriers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials report fentanyl smugglers are significantly increasing their use of the U.S. Postal Service and other express consignment carriers to bring the deadly drugs into the United States.

In response to an inquiry from Breitbart Texas, CBP officials said the shipment of fentanyl into the U.S. by smugglers via the U.S. mail and other common express consignment carriers like FedEx, UPS, and DHL is increasing at an alarming level. During the last fiscal year, which ended on September 30, 2022, CBP officers seized more than 500 pounds of fentanyl in carrier facilities.

Drug Enforcement Administration officials report that as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal. There are nearly 453,592 milligrams per pound. The seizures in these facilities equate to nearly 227 million lethal doses.

During FY22, CBP officers seized 475.48 pounds of fentanyl in express carrier operations hubs. This is up from 162.97 pounds of fentanyl in FY 2020, according to data supplied by CBP officials. This represents an increase of nearly 192 percent. In FY21, officers seized 405.02 pounds — an increase of 148 percent over FY 2020. During the first four months of FY23, officers seized an additional 77.97 pounds of fentanyl, CBP reported.

The number of interdicted smuggling incidents is also increasing. In FY2020, officials stopped 38 fentanyl shipments in these express carrier hubs. That rose to 87 in FY21 and 131 in FY22. So far this year, officers stopped 26 more smuggling attempts.

In the eight major USPS international mail branches, officials report seizing 30.88 pounds of fentanyl in FY22. This is up from 23.94 pounds in FY21 and 24.68 pounds in FY 2020. So far this year, officers seized another 18.52 pounds of fentanyl in U.S. international mail facilities.

CBP officials told Breitbart the shipments come to the United States from Mexico, China, the Middle East, and other nations. Statistics on quantities per nation of origin were not readily available.

CBP officers use a wide variety of resources to locate and interdict these potentially deadly shipments. Those include intelligence tips, K-9 searches of facilities and packages, and non-intrusive x-ray systems.

The seized drugs and the packages containing delivery information are turned over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations for additional investigation.

Breitbart Texas reached out to ICE officials for information on their follow-up investigations. No response was received by press time.