Just The Facts: How Much Fentanyl Is Seized at US Borders Each Month?
Courtesy USAFacts.org; Data updated January 22, 2025
According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is primarily manufactured abroad and smuggled into the US. When government agents intercept drugs such as fentanyl at the border, they arrest the traffickers and confiscate the drugs. This prevents the illegal distribution of these drugs within the country. Fentanyl seizures in December 2024 were down 13% from the previous month.
The amount of fentanyl seized at US borders can fluctuate based on changes in law enforcement strategies, trafficking routes, economic conditions, or supply and demand. The amount of fentanyl seized annually from 2019 to 2023 rose every year.
Between January and December 2024, authorities seized approximately 21,103 pounds of fentanyl at US borders.
Fentanyl is part of a class of drugs referred to as opioids. While medical professionals prescribe synthetic opioids like oxycontin and fentanyl for pain relief, this drug class also includes illegal substances such as heroin. According to the DEA, fentanyl is roughly 50 times more potent than heroin and just 2 milligrams can cause a fatal overdose in the average American.
US Customs and Border Protection agents confiscate fentanyl and other drugs both at official ports of entry like seaports, airports, and border checkpoints, and from people attempting to cross the border illegally between official ports. According to a 2023 report from the Department of Homeland Security, most fentanyl is primarily found and seized from vehicles driven by US citizens at official ports of entry. Between January and December 2024, 88% of all confiscated fentanyl was intercepted at these official entry points.
US Customs and Border Patrol recognizes three regions where fentanyl crosses into the country. These regions are the northern border dividing the US and Canada, the southwest border dividing the US and Mexico, and coastal and interior ports of entry. The latter includes international airports like those in Chicago and seaports such as those in Miami.
Although there are legal ports of entry throughout the US, fentanyl is primarily trafficked across the Southwest Border, with 88% of it passing through official southwest ports of entry and 9% seized elsewhere along the Southwest Border.
It's important to note that the data reported on drug seizures at US borders only reflects the quantities that US Customs and Border Protection has discovered. According to estimates by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the reported figures under-represent the drugs trafficked into the country.
In 2021, the DHS estimated that they intercepted around 3% of the cocaine — the only drug measured in the study — trafficked through official ports of entry. In contrast, DHS estimates that around 80% of people attempting to cross the border between ports of entry are intercepted, suggesting that the actual amount of fentanyl trafficked through unauthorized channels is also under counted, but to a lesser extent than through official ports. While these figures highlight data limitations, the information remains a valuable resource for understanding and addressing drug trafficking at US borders.
