Wellton Border Patrol agents stop drug smuggler at checkpoint

Agents recover large cache of fentanyl and heroin

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Wellton Station Border Patrol against prevented a large quantity of dangerous drugs from making it to the public.

Agents at the Interstate 8 checkpoint stopped a shuttle van around seven Friday night. A Border Patrol K-9 alerted them to a problem inside the van, and agents sent it to secondary inspection.

That's when agents say they encountered the accused smuggler. They say the 19-year-old man had a package filled with fentanyl pills and black tar heroin concealed in his front groin area.

Agents say further investigation revealed the package contained 263 grams of fentanyl with a street value of around $7,800. It also held 277 grams of heroin worth approximately $8,400 on the street. Both drugs are considered extremely dangerous. As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly if injected, inhaled, or swallowed.

Border Patrol arrested the man on federal drug smuggling charges and confiscated the narcotics.