Fentanyl in Texas: How It Crosses the Border and Why It’s So Lethal

We have heard throughout the past few years of the horrific flood of dangerous drugs entering into the country through Texas. One of the deadliest of these drugs is the opioid fentanyl.

Why is Fentanyl so Deadly?

Fentanyl is used as a painkiller, similar to morphine, but is highly addictive. Something that not everybody knows is that fentanyl is 100% manmade—there are no natural ingredients.

Even a small amount can be fatal, especially to children, which is why it takes the spotlight whenever smugglers are caught entering through Texas ports of entry.

How is Fentanyl Smuggled into the U.S.?

We know that the vast majority of fentanyl illegally entering the country is from ports of entry rather than tunnels, drones, on foot, etc.

It's also important to know that migration and fentanyl smuggling show little to no connections. This means that, overall, migrants entering the U.S. through ports of entry legally or illegally are separate from drug smugglers.

In fact, it's reported that the majority of fentanyl smuggled into the country is from legal citizens who are able to enter and exit without much suspicion.

When utilizing ports of entry to smuggle this deadly and addictive drug, criminals will choose one of three methods:

• Through pedestrian lanes on foot
• Hidden in personal vehicles
• Concealed in commercial traffic (semi trucks, utility vans, other company vehicles)

The most common method identified when discovering fentanyl smuggling attempts was when they were hidden in personal vehicles.

Protect Your Children from Fentanyl

When it comes to your children, it's always important to explain the dangers of fentanyl and the importance of avoiding situations that could lead them to encountering this fatal drug.

This isn't your typical anti-weed warning, it's much worse than that. Fentanyl is no joke, and the more we learn about how it gets illegally smuggled into the country, the more we can do to stop it.