U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have intercepted a significant amount of purple fentanyl powder cleverly hidden inside a truck’s spare tire and the dashboard of another vehicle in two separate drug busts just a day apart.
Commonly referred to as rainbow fentanyl on the streets, this drug is designed to attract younger individuals, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The massive drug seizure took place at the Calexico West Port of Entry in Southern California.
CBP officials confiscated 48.01 pounds of fentanyl powder during the operation, with an estimated street value of $907,184.
“Criminal syndicates utilize deceptive tactics, such as smuggling brightly colored substances like purple fentanyl powder, to attract younger individuals and boost their profits,” said Roque Caza, Port Director for the Area Port of Calexico.
Law enforcement officers encountered a 25-year-old individual seeking asylum from Mexico on July 20th and referred the driver and vehicle for a detailed inspection, where irregularities within the spare tire led to the discovery of 20 concealed purple fentanyl packages.
A CBP K-9 unit detected the narcotics, leading to the seizure of the drugs. In a subsequent thorough search, an additional 20 packages were found hidden in the spare tire.
In a separate incident the following day, officers intercepted a 31-year-old attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico and discovered 16 packages of purple fentanyl concealed within the vehicle’s dashboard.
Both drivers were handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation, with CBP seizing the narcotics and vehicles involved.
Purple fentanyl is a concerning trend identified by the DEA, with drug cartels exploiting it to market highly addictive and potentially lethal fentanyl disguised as candy to attract children and young adults.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is notorious for its extreme potency, making it one of the deadliest and most affordable opioids on the market, being 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, CBP officials have seized a total of 15,149 pounds of fentanyl by June.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that nearly 74,000 drug overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids in 2022.