Fentanyl pills found in folding chairs at Nogales
Original reporting: Infobae México
What happened
Infobae México reports that CBP found approximately 51 kilograms of fentanyl in folding chairs aboard a pickup entering Nogales from Mexico on November 3. Homeland Security Investigations responded.
Reporting and context
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found roughly half a million fentanyl pills hidden in folding chairs aboard a pickup entering Arizona from Mexico, according to Infobae México, citing the agency. The seizure took place on November 3, 2026, at the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales.
A 36-year-old U.S. citizen was driving the 2006 Nissan Titan with the chairs in its bed. Officers referred the vehicle for a secondary inspection, where scanning equipment detected anomalies in the furniture. A CBP dog then alerted to possible narcotics, prompting a physical search.
Officers found more than 300 packages inside the plastic chairs, weighing more than 112 pounds, or approximately 51 kilograms. CBP seized the pickup and drugs, and Homeland Security Investigations agents responded. The case remained under investigation. Roque Caza, director of field operations for CBP's Tucson Field Office, credited inspection technology, dogs and officers' experience with detecting the shipment.
Infobae México also reported a separate cocaine seizure on October 25 at the San Clemente Border Patrol checkpoint in California. Two vehicle inspections, conducted three minutes apart, yielded more than 650 kilograms of suspected cocaine valued at $9.8 million. Those figures describe the California operation, separate from the fentanyl found in Nogales.
Agents found 550 vacuum-sealed packages in black garbage bags after a dog alerted during the inspections. Field testing gave a presumptive positive result for cocaine. Both drivers were arrested, and the Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of them and the suspected drugs pending federal prosecution.
Original reporting: Infobae México.