Related Federal Cases
Fentanyl Smuggling Ring Busted in Tijuana
A Tijuana man was arraigned in federal court on charges that he smuggled almost 6,000 pills containing the ultra-deadly drug fentanyl into the United States. The case signals an alarming trend in fentanyl seizures at the US-Mexico border.
Jose Arturo Acevedo, 35, of Tijuana, Mexico, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo in federal court in San Diego. Acevedo was indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts related to the smuggling of 5,857 pills containing fentanyl, 55 pounds of methamphetamine, 24 pounds of cocaine, and 12 pounds of heroin.
The blue pills had markings and the physical dimension of oxycodone, but the Drug Enforcement Administration lab determined that they contained fentanyl. Acevedo was charged with four counts of importation of a controlled substance, in violation of 21, United States Code, Section 952 and 960.
Acevedo entered the San Ysidro Port of Entry on July 19, 2016, in his vehicle that contained 24 packages of drugs concealed in a speaker box lying on the floor of the vehicle behind the front seats near the passenger door.
In the last two weeks, there have been three additional law enforcement seizures of fentanyl in powder form by Border officials. In one of these cases, defendant Philip Randolph Lilien, 64, a Denver resident living temporarily in Mexico at the time of the offense, was charged with smuggling 19 pounds of fentanyl and 20 pounds of heroin through the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
Lilien was apprehended by Customs and Border Protection Officers, who found 11 packages of drugs concealed in a spare tire located inside the cargo area of Lilien’s vehicle. He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on September 22, 2016, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernard Skomal.
The increased seizures of fentanyl have raised concerns among law enforcement officials, who warn that exposure to even a trace amount of fentanyl through inhalation or absorption through the skin can be fatal. When fentanyl is produced in clandestine laboratories, it can be 100 times more potent than morphine.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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