Border Patrol officials have seized enough lethal drugs this fiscal year to kill more than 6.4 billion people—or 19 times the U.S. population—as the amount of narcotics being smuggled into the country spikes.
This comes as the Biden administration faces growing criticism for failing to secure the southern border with Mexico.
Most of the lethal drugs seized were fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
As of June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have seized 22,000 pounds of fentanyl, 175,000 pounds of methamphetamine, and over 70,000 pounds of cocaine at ports of entry across the United States, according to the latest data.
CBP reported that agents seized 43,600 pounds of drugs in June alone and 412,000 pounds for the year so far.
These totals are greater than the amount seized in all of fiscal 2022, excluding those discovered by state and other federal agencies.
Two milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose. One pound of fentanyl, which is equivalent to 453,592 milligrams, is enough to kill 226,796 people, while 22,000 pounds is enough to kill nearly 5 billion people.
A lethal dose of cocaine can be as low as 30 milligrams, and a lethal dose of methamphetamine is about 200 milligrams.
Based on these estimates and the amounts seized so far this year, CBP found enough methamphetamine to kill nearly 397 million people and enough cocaine to kill over 1 billion people.
Drug Smugglers Found Nationwide
Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector seized 121 pounds of cocaine worth about $3.8 million on Aug. 7. Agents in this area seized about 1,500 pounds of cocaine between Oct. 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, already surpassing the 1,100 pounds seized during all of fiscal year 2022.Agents at a California-Mexico border station recently discovered 200 pounds of methamphetamine worth about $235,000 after patrol agents discovered packages concealed in a suspect’s vehicle.
“This smuggling attempt is a reminder that no matter how ingenious the ploy, our CBP officers remain vigilant and prevail over these dangerous and illegal actions,” said Roque Caza, area port director for Calexico.
State authorities in Texas have seized over 422 million lethal doses of fentanyl through its border security mission, Operation Lone Star, and in Arizona, a three-year operation between the Drug Enforcement Administration and state and local authorities led to the seizure of enough illicit drugs from the Mexican Sinaloa and CJNG cartels to kill over 40 million people, The Center Square reported.
In March, three Mexican nationals in Los Angeles were found with enough fentanyl to kill over 600,000 people, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Fentanyl Biggest Threat to Country
Federal authorities seized over 58 million fake prescription pills filled with fentanyl and 13,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in all 50 states last year, which is enough to kill every American in the country, according to the DEA.The DEA released a public safety alert last fall, which said that 6 in 10 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022 contained a potentially lethal dose, an increase from 4 in 10 pills tested in 2021.
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing our country and most of the fentanyl is trafficked by the Sinaloa and CJNG Cartels who mass-produce the drug in secret laboratories in Mexico with chemicals sourced largely by China,” the DEA said in a February news release.
“The criminal cartels are mass producing fake pills to look like prescription drugs such as Oxycontin, Hydrocodone, Percocet, Xanax, and Adderall. They are also hiding fentanyl in other drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Any illicit fentanyl, regardless of color, shape, or size, is dangerous and can be deadly,” the federal agency said.
Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel controls the drug trade along the southern U.S. border and is responsible for much of the narcotics smuggling in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
