Statement from Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller on the Results of a Multi-Agency Counter Fentanyl Operation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proud to partner with the Commonwealth of Virginia and more than 175 local, state and federal agencies from 13 states in Operation FREE (Fentanyl Awareness, Reduction, Enforcement and Eradication), making 1,081 arrests and seizing 267 firearms and thousands of pounds of narcotics, including several hundred pounds of fentanyl in 45 days.

Operations like FREE are a key part of our strategy to combat synthetic drugs like fentanyl through intelligence, operations, and partnership. CBP is leveraging its position on the nation's frontline and providing intelligence and investigative leads directly into the hands of state and local partners so they can take action and target illicit networks.

The men and women of CBP - together, with partners across the country - are making a real impact in the fight against synthetic drugs. It's a fight we take personally, and one we will not lose.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.