Cannabis Seizures Drop For 3 Reasons As Drug Cartels Prefer Fentanyl, Migrant Trafficking

June's illegal drug seizures at international boundaries, and highway checkpoints, have spiked 25% compared to May, according to a report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Compared to the previous year, average daily seizures of marijuana, cocaine and heroin have dropped, while fentanyl seizures are at a similar level.

The biggest dropped in seizures was noticed in cannabis. Why?

According to crime and law enforcement experts, drug cartels are stepping away from weed dealing because of so many legalization efforts in the U.S., writes Border Report. Among the most important recent ones is this week’s unveiling of a long-awaited U.S. Senate legislation that would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis on the federal level, while also promoting social equity.

Drug cartels are also seeing higher profits coming from the production of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamines. Fentanyl seizures remain in line with last year’s rates, while meth seizures are slightly lower.

“The cartels are faster and more agile and smarter than our reaction. They’re very quick to adjust,” said Victor M. Manjarrez Jr., a former U.S. Border Patrol chief agent and director of the Center for Law and Human Behavior at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Furthermore, criminal groups are also choosing migrant trafficking over marijuana dealing. Mexican law enforcement officials in Chihuahua have reported that gang members have taken up the operations of independent smugglers.

In the fiscal year 2021, Department of Homeland Security agencies seized 160 tons of cannabis or 874 pounds per day on average. With three months still left in the current fiscal year, agents have seized, 56 tons or 408 pounds per day on average.

Fentanyl Seizures Rising 

Independently, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in El Paso revealed local sector data to Border Report revealing similar plummeting trends in cannabis, cocaine, heroin and meth seizures. On the other hand, seizures of a powerful synthetic opioid, fentanyl (a major factor in the U.S. opioid overdose deaths crisis), are increasing. The data comes on the heels of a warning video announcement released from the Senate GOP Doctors Caucus alerting about the dangers of fentanyl.

“Fentanyl is killing over 200 Americans each and every day,” said Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). "Unfortunately, many Americans who have died from an overdose didn’t even know they were taking the deadliest drug our nation has ever seen." 

For the first nine months of the 2022 fiscal year, police agencies are seizing a daily average of 51.8 pounds of cannabis, 3.97 pounds of cocaine, and 0.4 pounds of heroin. In comparison, in 2021, those averages amounted to 86.5, 6.4, and 0.66 pounds a day, respectively.

Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection - CBP Drug Seizures Southwest Border  via Wikimedia Commons