𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊-𝐏𝐎𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐌𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐋𝐄 𝟕 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐋 𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒, 𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐙𝐎𝐍𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐘

                                          

by: Julian Resendiz

EL PASO, Texas – A U.S. citizen is facing federal felony charges after allegedly being caught trying to smuggle 7.18 kilos of fentanyl pills into the United States in a Crock-Pot.

Border officers at the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, thwarted the June 18 smuggling attempt as they pondered why someone would walk over from Mexico carrying a large Crock-Pot filled with meat.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer manning the pedestrian lane of the international bridge asked Jose Armando Longoria, 27, to put the kitchen appliance down so he could take a look.

Court documents show the border officer lifted the Crock-Pot and noticed it felt very heavy. He sent it and Longoria to a secondary inspection area.

Longoria allegedly told other CBP officers there was nothing unusual about the meat. But then they brought out a drug-sniffing dog and received indications from the canine there were drugs in the pot.

The officers emptied and disassembled the Crock-Pot and found 11 bags of blue pills that tested positive for fentanyl.

According to a criminal complaint filed June 20 in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Longoria waived his rights and told federal investigators he was offered $100 by an unnamed party to cross the drugs in the Crock-Pot.

Longoria allegedly said parties had asked him to cross drugs in the past, but that he never had done so prior to now.

The suspect is scheduled to appear at a detention hearing scheduled for July 7 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce G. Macdonald in Tucson, Arizona. He faces charges of possession of 400 grams of more of fentanyl with intent to distribute.