US

Border Authorities Discover New Version Of Rainbow Fentanyl: ‘Not Encountered Before’

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Border authorities encountered a new form of rainbow fentanyl that smugglers attempted to bring into the U.S., Nogales Port Director Michael W. Humphries said in a tweet Tuesday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Sunday seized around 413,000 fentanyl pills, 44,000 of which “had the rainbow colors combined in each pill.” Humphries said the new version of the pills was “not encountered before” as the area continues to see seizures of the new type of candy-colored drug.

Nogales is an area of Arizona that is across from Sinaloa drug cartel territory in Mexico. Sunday’s seizure also included 7.4 pounds of fentanyl powder and 14.4 pounds of heroin, Humphries said.

10/9: CBP officers at the Nogales POE discovered a new version of “rainbow” fentanyl pills not encountered before. Approx 413,000 fentanyl pills were seized. 44,000 of those had the rainbow colors combined in each pill. 7.4 lbs fentanyl powder, 14.4 lbs heroin was also seized. pic.twitter.com/Kbs9XTdlWj

— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) October 11, 2022

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently warned that drug cartels are using rainbow fentanyl to market to younger customers, according to a statement the agency shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in the statement.

On 9/3, CBP Officers at the Nogales POE seized:
Approx. 47,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills, 186,000 blue fentanyl pills, and 6.5 pounds of meth hidden in a floor compartment of a vehicle.
Also on 9/3, CBP officers seized 84 lbs. of meth concealed in the gas tank of a vehicle. pic.twitter.com/9AyjgRYMxJ

— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) September 6, 2022

For months, the port in Nogales has seen several smuggling attempts of rainbow fentanyl. Authorities in several states, including Washington, Oregon, Alaska and West Virginia have also encountered rainbow fentanyl.

Rainbow fentanyl pills prevented from entering the U.S.

This weekend CBP Officers at the Nogales, AZ POE seized approx 625,000 fentanyl pills, of which approx. 12,000 pills were rainbow colored, 4 lbs of fentanyl powder, 34 lbs of meth and 5 lbs of marijuana in 5 different stops pic.twitter.com/2D7uytxHUQ

— Port Director Michael W. Humphries (@CBPPortDirNOG) August 29, 2022