(NationalUSNews.com) — Despite border patrol and the DEA’s attempts at preventing drug smuggling across the southern United States border, states in the American southwest have seen a dramatic increase in drug activity over the past few decades. Arizona, in particular, has seen a shocking rise in drug crimes and remains one of the states most affected by narcotic smuggling into the country. Arizona authorities have attempted to combat the increase in narcotic smuggling with various busts and police operations, including two significant busts carried out by Arizona police on the same day.
One of the busts occurred in Yuma, where Arizona state troopers confiscated approximately 39 pounds of fentanyl that a suspect developed into pills. Police found the dangerous drugs in a vehicle’s spare tire and arrested the person driving the car. A similar bust unfolded in Tucson, when police raided a resident after obtaining a search warrant. The Tucson bust resulted in police confiscating 100 pounds of methamphetamine, a highly addictive substance that has become increasingly present in the United States since the 1990s.
While the presence of methamphetamine is hardly surprising for members of Arizona’s state police, the Yuma bust raised alarms due to the hazardous nature of fentanyl. Fentanyl is a deadly substance derived from other less powerful opioids and requires extreme care by its handlers. If someone handling fentanyl touches the substance without protection or inhales it by mistake, they can die within minutes. Police have found fentanyl in increasing quantities over the past few years, likely due to the increased illegal crossings into the United States from Central America.
Border authorities have attempted to prevent fentanyl from entering the United States, but smugglers manage to bring thousands of fentanyl pills into the country each month. United States Customs and Border Protection managed to perform a major drug bust in May, resulting in officials confiscating hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills, which could kill more than 28 million people if handled improperly. While fentanyl is the most concerning drug for Arizona police, methamphetamine remains another concern for Arizona authorities. Methamphetamine is less deadly than fentanyl, but some drug scientists believe methamphetamine is more addictive and easier to manufacture.
Arizona voters cite border security as their top concern, as evidenced by the recent busts in Tucson and Yuma. As a response to voters’ concerns, United States legislators are planning to enact a bill known as the Secure the Border Act, which would heighten the criminal penalties for people who smuggle or sell fentanyl and provide state police with the authority to arrest illegal immigrants.
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