CBP Finds 112 Pounds of Fentanyl Hidden in Truck Chairs at Nogales

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered 112 pounds of fentanyl concealed within the folding chairs of a pickup truck at the Port of Nogales on Nov. 3. The seizure involved more than 300 packages of the narcotic, which were packed inside the seats in the truck bed of a 2006 Nissan Titan.

A 36-year-old American man driving the vehicle was referred to a secondary inspection after returning from Mexico. Officers first utilized an inspection scan, which revealed irregularities in the structure of the chairs. A canine unit subsequently alerted the team to the presence of narcotics in the truck.

Upon opening the chairs, agents recovered the hidden packages. The driver was 36 years old at the time of the stop. CBP did not provide details regarding the driver's current legal status or whether he has been formally charged in connection with the seizure.

Roque Caza, director of Field Operations for the Tucson Field Office, commented on the discovery in an emailed statement. He described the event as an exceptional interception that demonstrated the value of frontline personnel, canine units, and advanced non-intrusive inspection technology. Caza stated that the agency is aggressively disrupting transnational criminal networks to stop deadly narcotics from reaching communities.

The Port of Nogales is a major crossing point between Arizona and Mexico. The Nov. 3 stop occurred during a standard inspection process. The use of scanning technology combined with a drug-sniffing dog allowed agents to locate the contraband without a visual inspection of the truck bed initially.