TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two multi-agency operations conducted over the course of two months resulted in over a ton of fentanyl being seized, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO).
Operations Blue Lotus and Four Horsemen were operated by the USAO along with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Tucson Field Office, in conjunction with Border Patrol's Tucson and Yuma sectors.
The operations ran from March 6 to May 8 and resulted in over a ton of fentanyl being seized as well as "substantial amounts of methamphetamine," according to USAO.
“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,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino in a press release.
Some of the largest seizures include:
- 236 packages, or 188.56 kilograms, of fentanyl pills found in a Ford Lobo at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales (U.S. v. Kevin Rodriquez-Ballesteros)
- 156 packages, or 94 kilograms, of fentanyl pills found in a Dodge Challenger at the DeConcini Port of Entry (U.S. v. Guadalupe Trujillo-Quintana and Sabrina Renee Alaniz-Lopez)
- 588 packages, or 73.9 kilograms, of fentanyl pills found in a Mazda CX-7 at the Mariposa Port of Entry (U.S. v. Zulma Corrales-Hernandez and Manuel Mendoza-Gonzalez)
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Emma Miller is a producer for KGUN 9. Originally from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Emma graduated from Fordham University in 2021 where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. In April 2021, Emma became the first woman researcher in MLB and NHL Network history. She joined the KGUN 9 family in August 2022 after falling in love with Tucson.