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Since 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) has spent nearly $25.6 million on 279 small-scale chemical screening devices to identify fentanyl and other illicit narcotics but not at lower purity levels (10 percent or less). This is concerning because, at the southwest border, OFO predominantly seizes fentanyl at low purity levels. OFO officials stated they were concerned about the dangers of fentanyl, and as a stopgap measure, purchased the new screening devices without conducting comprehensive tests of effectiveness. (Two milligrams of this drug can be lethal, making it a significant contributor to opioid fatalities.) This occurred because OFO purchased the screening devices without requiring comprehensive testing of their capability to identify low purity levels of illicit narcotics.
Another major concern is OFO does not have adequate policies for deploying, using, and updating the small-scale chemical screening devices used to identify fentanyl. The deficiencies occurred because OFO management did not provide oversight to ensure the office updated its guidance on non-intrusive inspection technology when it acquired the screening devices. Currently, OFO cannot ensure that it is protecting the United States from criminals smuggling fentanyl with purity levels less than or equal to 10 percent, thereby increasing the risk of fentanyl or other illicit narcotics entering the country.
Read Report No. OIG-19-67
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