NORFOLK, Va. (ChatnewsTV) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercepted a dangerous shipment of fentanyl during a routine vehicle inspection in Norfolk, Virginia, on November 8, 2024. The potent synthetic opioid was found inside an export container containing three older Toyota sedans, originally shipped from Prince George’s County, Maryland, and destined for Freetown, Sierra Leone.
CBP officers conducting the examination uncovered a white powdery substance mixed with personal items and the vehicles. Testing confirmed the substance to be fentanyl hydrochloride, a powerful opioid known to be up to 100 times stronger than morphine. The discovery weighed in at 117.8 grams, equivalent to just over four ounces.
“This seizure illustrates how quickly a routine examination can turn potentially deadly for Customs and Border Protection officers on our nation’s frontlines,” said Mark Laria, Area Port Director for Norfolk-Newport News. “This may be a small amount of fentanyl, but it doesn’t take much of this very dangerous synthetic opioid to seriously injure or kill an unsuspecting CBP officer, seaport longshoreman, vessel seaman, or truck driver who may be accidentally exposed to it while just doing their jobs.”
The container’s manifest indicated it held only personal items and vehicles, underscoring the hidden danger CBP officers face daily. The fentanyl was promptly seized, and an investigation is underway to determine its source and destination.
