Border Patrol agents in Robstown, Texas along with local law enforcement authorities discovered 25 pounds of liquid fentanyl hidden in a specialized compartment inside a vehicle’s gas tank. Officials say this quantity of liquid fentanyl is enough to kill a population of 5.665 million people — more than double the population of the city of Houston.
Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez tweeted praise over the efforts of Border Patrol agents and Nueces County Sheriff’s Office deputies in discovering the hidden narcotics. According to Chavez, the street value of the liquid fentanyl is $1.8 million.
Chief Chavez declared the seizure, “the largest amount of liquid fentanyl in the history of the USA” in her tweet. Drug traffickers often convert the liquid fentanyl into powder which is then formed into tablets for easy sale and distribution across the United States. During Fiscal Year 2022, which ended in on September 30, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 14,000 pounds of fentanyl in all its forms. Fentanyl seizures have risen nearly 200% from 2020 when 4,800 pounds were seized, according to CBP reports.
The city of Robstown is located just west of Corpus Christi and about 150 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border.
