Arizona Border Officials Seize Almost a Million Pills Of Fentanyl In One Month: Report

Agents working at the Nogales port of entry in Arizona have seized almost a million fentanyl pills in a month, according to a new report.

Border Report detailed that the seizures took place over a 30-day period ending on September 24. Half of them were found in a single incident on the week ending September 2, the outlet added, quoting Nogales U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Director Laura E. Hermosillo.

The largest incident was on September 19 after officials found dozens of bundles containing almost 178,000 pills inside a vehicle. It also had 30 pounds of methamphetamine. A week earlier, a man was stopped while carrying what he described as luggage. After inspection officials found almost 165,000 pills.

Another large incident took place last month when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the arrest of 617 individuals linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and the seizure of significant amounts of illicit drugs, including nearly half a ton of fentanyl powder.

The agency noted that officials "across 23 domestic field divisions and seven foreign regions" orchestrated a coordinated operation targeting one of the world's most violent drug networks from sources to streets during the last week of August. The operation resulted in 480 kilograms (1,058.2 pounds) of fentanyl powder, equal to more than a thousand pounds, along with more than 714,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.

This enforcement comes amid a broader surge in cannabinoid and opioid crackdown efforts. In the first half of 2025 alone, the DEA seized approximately 44 million fentanyl pills and 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, marking one of the most aggressive campaigns in recent history.