(The Center Square) Federal agents working at immigration checkpoints in northern U.S. cities and small towns along the U.S.-Canada border continue to disrupt illegal activity.
Federal agents operating in Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati and small border towns in North Dakota continue to crack down on fentanyl, weapons, counterfeit e-cigarettes and illegal prescription drugs stemming from the border crisis.
In Detroit, agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations seized approximately six pounds of fentanyl in one enforcement action at the Fort Street Cargo Facility.
According to CBP, this is the largest seizure of its kind at the Port of Detroit and one of the largest seizures of imported fentanyl at the northern border in the past five years.
CBP officers were inspecting international mail when a police dog sniffed out the synthetic opioids and discovered a package containing pills in multiple plastic bags.
The pills were tested and identified as fentanyl.
The lethal dose is said to be 2 milligrams, and authorities have seized enough fentanyl to kill more than 1.3 million people.
Further north, in Pembina County, North Dakota, CBP’s Grand Forks Sector, Border Patrol agents with police dogs found three backpacks filled with abandoned firearms.
Police found them after receiving reports of suspicious activity west of the Neche Port of Entry in North Dakota.
Upon arrival, Border Patrol said they “observed two individuals fleeing the area into Canada.”
Investigators continued to search the area and, with the help of the family dog, Odin, found a backpack left behind containing a large amount of firearms.
Seized were 65 handguns, 65 pistol magazines, two rifles, one suppressor, and two rifle magazines.
“While it is unusual to have a large number of firearms seized in the Grand Forks area, this incident serves as a reminder of how important our mission is,” said Grand Forks District Chief Sergeant Scott Garrett.
The Border Patrol said “there is no threat to the area at this time,” but urged “everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.”
Anonymous reports are accepted. Residents can call 1-800-982-4077 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Tips can also be submitted via email to gfndispatch@cbp.dhs.gov.
Community participation is crucial for Border Patrol agents working in remote areas along the northern border, The Center Square reported.
Experts told The Center Square that a lack of operational control on the northern border poses a national security threat.
Officials issued the warning after the highest number of illegal crossers, including known or suspected terrorists, were apprehended at the northern border under the Biden administration, more than any other time in U.S. history.
In Chicago, CBP officers recently seized 53,700 illegal Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) with an estimated retail value of over $1 million that were shipped from China to a wholesaler in Mississippi.
Inspectors found that the shipment of 179 boxes was mislabeled as e-atomizers but was full of vape pens, in violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which regulates consumer products.
CBP officers, working with Food and Drug Administration officials, determined that these products were adulterated and were being imported by unauthorized agents.
Disguising the contents as electronic vaporizers is a “common tactic used to smuggle unauthorized products into the United States,” CBP said, adding that the items were likely being sent to wholesalers for distribution nationwide.
Last month, the FDA announced a new federal multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes.
Another product that CBP and FDA found to be illegally imported was Ozempic, an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and for weight loss.
Importing Ozempic into the United States without FDA authorization and oversight is prohibited.
At the Port of Cincinnati, CBP officers have seized a record 11 unauthorized shipments of Ozempic imported from Colombia so far this year.
CBP officers first discovered prefilled injection pens containing Ozempic in a shipment from Colombia in February.
The main destinations for the shipment were New York, Massachusetts and Texas, with a total estimated value of $887,000.
“Unfortunately, very few online pharmacies comply with U.S. pharmacy standards,” CBP said.
“This poses a health risk to consumers who believe it is the real deal and buy it at a much cheaper price.”
“Prescription drugs smuggled into the U.S. from outside the U.S. can pose serious health risks to users, especially injectable drugs that are supposed to be sterile. These drugs do not go through proper import procedures and may contain unknown and/or dangerous ingredients,” said Dan Solis, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Import Operations.
“We are seeing a surge in e-commerce sales of illicit pharmaceuticals from overseas companies that do not follow established regulations…. Blocking illegal shipments of Ozempic could save consumers a lot of money and potentially dangerous health risks,” said LaFonda Sutton Burke, Chicago field operations director.
