Picture this. A gray Dodge Ram pickup truck pulling an ATV on a trailer. So what, right? Sounds like something you can expect to see on any Monday as people return to Arizona from Rocky Point Mexico. Instead, this one was quite different because it was the scenario for a fentanyl bust this week at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The look of the trailer carrying an all-terrain vehicle wasn’t the issue for the young driver from Glendale, Arizona. That surely blended in with many tourists. His problem was all because of the smell. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) canine trained to detect narcotics was alerted to the scent of the fentanyl on the trailer. The Schedule II controlled substance had been hidden in the trailer’s rails and floorboards. Regardless of how well-hidden illegal drugs are, the loyal dogs are trained and motivated to sniff them out.
David Quintero-Mascareno Arrested
20-year-old David Quintero-Mascareno was arrested on Monday. In telling CBP officers he was returning from Puerto Peñasco, Quintero-Mascareno allegedly gave a negative customs declaration for contraband.
CBP at the Lukeville Port of Entry discovered approximately 234 packages of blue pills. Each had an imprint of “M30” on them. A field sample of the pills tested positive for the properties of fentanyl. Meanwhile, the weight of the packages was nearly 460 kilograms. That equates to more than 1,000 pounds. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials along with those from Homeland Security Investigations are conducting the investigation.
The complaint of David Quintero-Mascareno contains serious charges. “Knowingly and Intentionally Possessing with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl.”
A conviction of Quintero-Mascareno on these charges could be devastating. This is because the crime carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $10-million-dollars, (or both). Furthermore, for good measure, you can also throw in a maximum term of five years supervised release.
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona in Tucson, is handling the prosecution.