More than 2,000 pounds of fentanyl seized at Arizona-Mexico border in past 2 months

PHOENIX — Multiagency investigations resulted in the seizure of more than 2,000 pounds of fentanyl and other drugs at the Arizona-Mexico border in the past two months, authorities said Wednesday.

Agencies participating in the Blue Lotus and Four Horsemen operations made the seizures at four ports of entry and two checkpoints from March 6 to May 8, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

“Thanks to the efforts of our partners at the Department of Homeland Security, we prevented substantial amounts of fentanyl and other drugs from reaching Arizona neighborhoods,” U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said in the release.

Several large busts contributed to the total, which included stops that yielded methamphetamine and ammunition.

One stop of a driver in a Ford Lobo in Nogales resulted in the seizure of 236 packages of fentanyl weighing about 415 pounds.

Another Nogales stop, this one for a driver of a Dodge Challenger, saw about 210 pounds of fentanyl recovered.

“Collaborative efforts like these are critical to protecting towns and cities across the country,” Tucson Sector Border Patrol Chief John Modlin said in the release.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Tucson and Yuma all participated in the operations.

Follow @KTAR923