Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that was approved for use as an anesthetic by U.S. authorities in 1968, but rising illicit production and fatal overdoses in the past decade have made it a priority for law enforcement and health care professionals.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 75,000 people will die from synthetic opioid overdoses in 2023, mostly cases involving fentanyl.

The vast majority of CBP fentanyl seizures occur at legitimate border crossings in Arizona and California. CBP Field Operations dogs have been involved in the seizure of nearly 29,000 kilograms of fentanyl since the program began, according to the agency.

Democratic President Joe Biden, who will seek reelection on Nov. 5, has called on Republicans in Congress to increase funding for border security, including efforts to combat fentanyl at border crossings.

CBP officials say the funding could help expand the use of dogs, including a pilot program in which six dogs are trained to sniff out chemical “precursors” used to make fentanyl.

At the CBP Canine Academy in Front Royal, Virginia, customs agents from across the country team up with their new four-legged companions as part of a four- to six-month process of training dogs to sniff out contraband.

The dogs are trained to detect six substances: marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy and fentanyl, by first filling chew toys with “pseudo-drugs” that smell like the real thing.

“That toy is all they think about,” explained Donna Sifford, the academy’s director, during an exclusive tour of the facilities in mid-June. “When they smell those smells and sit down, all they want to do is play.”

The academy has training areas that simulate real-life working environments for dogs, such as an airport baggage claim room, a post office conveyor belt, and an open parking lot with dozens of dusty cars.

According to Sifford, these are typically German shepherds, Labradors, Dutch shepherds and German shorthaired pointers. Goose is one of three golden retrievers at the show.

While other hard drugs may have a distinctive odor (heroin, for example, sometimes smells like vinegar), fentanyl is generally odorless, at least to humans.

The best technologies

Dogs can learn to detect a new scent in an average of three days, Sifford explained, but before CBP can begin training them to use fentanyl, the agency needs to develop safety protocols.

Handlers always carry four doses of the anti-opioid drug naloxone, which can also be given to dogs even if they don’t need it yet, he said.

Sifford acknowledges the job can be challenging for border dogs, who must deal with seasonally high temperatures, long working hours and the stress of road travel, but says the job suits their breed and temperament.

Dogs have an exponentially stronger sense of smell than humans.which has 200 times more olfactory receptors, according to a 2022 study published in the journal Neuroscience.

Dogs can move quickly through traffic, searching suspicious vehicles and checking lines of passengers. They are particularly useful for detecting fentanyl, which can be carried in small amounts as pills or powder.

“They’re like biosensors,” says Michael Gould, one of the founders of the New York Police Department’s canine unit, who now serves as an expert witness in court cases involving police dogs. “They’re really the best technology available.”

While CBP fentanyl seizures have increased in recent years, the agency appears to be intercepting only a small percentage of what comes into the country.

A 2022 report on synthetic opioids released by a group of lawmakers, government officials, and outside experts estimates that just five metric tons of pure fentanyl would be enough to supply all opioid users in the United States for a year, a fraction of comparable U.S. heroin consumption by weight.

In some parts of the United States, the street price of fentanyl has dropped to $1 a pill or less, indicating there is ample supply.

Pete Flores, acting deputy commissioner of CBP, told Reuters his agency does not estimate the amount of fentanyl or other drugs that could enter the United States undetected, but said efforts are aimed at disrupting transit routes and business models used by criminal organizations.

“Every shipment of drugs, and especially fentanyl, that we stop saves lives,” Flores said.

Reuters