At least 60 shipments drug supplies, deadly drugs seized by Cincinnati customs

CINCINNATI — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Cincinnati port reported seizing over 60 shipments containing pill press machines and components and deadly drugs since January.

>>PHOTOS: At least 60 shipments drug supplies, deadly drugs seized by Cincinnati customs

The Port of Cincinnati participated in Operation Artemis in July as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) analytics and intelligence-base enforcement efforts to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain, a CBP spokesperson said.

“The Port of Cincinnati knows the challenges our country faces when protecting our citizens from the dangers of fentanyl and other illicit drugs,” said Chief Supervisory CBP Officer Eric Zizelman. “Our officers are committed to this challenge, and consistently use training and technology to find these dangerous drugs and work with our law enforcement counterparts to take action against criminal enterprises.”

CBP officers in Cincinnati seized 60 shipments containing 22 pill press machines and 257 pill press components such as die sets, adapters, and stamps.

They also discovered three shipments of fentanyl and two shipments of xylazine, according to the spokesperson.

The fentanyl came from Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

The xylazine shipments originated from India.

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This year, CBP officers have found fentanyl within the insulated panels on an oven, tucked within the heating element of an electric coffee maker, and inside bags of nutritional supplements.

Most of the pill presses and components found were imported from China, with some coming from Canada, the Dominican Republic, India, and Taiwan.

The shipments were destined for other states and other countries around the world.

“The work our officers and specialists do on a daily basis provides the backbone of our national defense against these deadly substances,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Chicago Field Operations. “Whether it is stopping a shipment of fentanyl at the frontlines, or working with our local, federal, or international partners to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, CBP will continue to do our part in addressing this serious challenge facing our country.”

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