The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ran two counter-drug operations over the course of the last two months in Arizona and southern California – Operations Blue Lotus and Four Horsemen – and results can be measured in thousands of pounds of illicit substances seized.
While focused on the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States from Mexico, agents seized nearly 10,000 pounds of the substance, along with more than 10,000 pounds of narcotics including cocaine and methamphetamines. In the operations’ last week alone, DHS reported coinciding arrests of 284 people on fentanyl charges.
In turn, the U.S. Department of Justice has referred numerous cases for prosecution.
“We are incredibly proud of the DHS workforce at CBP and HSI, whose dedication to holding criminals accountable for their trafficking of deadly substances like fentanyl is unwavering,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said. “As the cases referred for federal prosecution show, these operations had significant results. We are not done. Working with our state and federal partners, we will continue to go after these criminal networks, leveraging every bit of investigative and technological innovation at every turn. Drug cartels have been trafficking in fentanyl for years, and DHS is bringing unprecedented force to our fight against them. In the last two years, DHS has seized more fentanyl than it did in the previous five years combined. In the last two years, DHS arrested more criminals for committing crimes related to fentanyl and precursors chemicals than it did in the previous five years combined.”
Operation Blue Lotus alone ran from March 13, 2023 to May 10, 2023. As part of this, 85 Homeland Security Investigations special agents and 35 Customs and Border Protection officers were added to the southern border, targeted inspections and intelligence gathering efforts were stepped up and more advanced technology was deployed along the border. Operation Four Horsemen was a complementary Border Patrol operation, focused between ports of entry and at checkpoints near the border.
“The success of this initiative is largely attributed to the federal, state and local partners that spent countless hours not just by responding to port calls but assisting HSI with seizures throughout Arizona,” Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Arizona, said. “Drugs, but especially fentanyl are decimating communities, but together and with education, we all can make a significant impact in curbing the senseless deaths associated with the sale of these deadly drugs.”
According to the DoJ, these seizures and arrests follow records already set during the last fiscal year, when 317 defendants were prosecuted for fentanyl offenses. In San Diego County alone, the two-month operational surge led to a 300 percent fentanyl seizure boost compared to the same period last year: 732 pounds in 2022, versus 2,931 pounds in 2023.
“Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our CBP officers and agents, and in collaboration with HSI and other partners, Operation Blue Lotus prevented thousands of pounds of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs from entering the United States and making their way into our communities,” CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller said. “This multi-agency effort is a model of how law enforcement partnerships can drive aggressive action to disrupt drug trafficking, take the fight to smugglers, and protect our communities against the scourge of fentanyl.”