Cincinnati CBP Halts 15,750 Xanax Pills

CBP officers found 63 plastic bottles marked as Xanax XR 2mg.

Photo by Cincinnati CBP.

(Cincinnati, Oh.) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati seized a shipment of 15,750 Xanax pills from Britain late last month. 

On June 30, CBP officers stopped a package marked as household goods due to x-ray anomalies, and because the shipper is known for shipping pharmaceuticals.

Inside the shipment, officers found 63 plastic bottles marked as “Xanax XR 2mg” is a foil lined box. The street value would have been more than $230,000. The final destination for the parcel was a residence in Texas. 

“The experience and skills of our CBP officers to be able to target and seize this parcel is possibly life-saving,” said Richard Gillespie, Port Director, Cincinnati. “These pills were destined for a residence and that person may be selling them. The buyer would not know how the pill was processed, which could be life threatening. It’s a dangerous game to play with life-threatening consequences.”

Xanax is a popular anxiety medication and a schedule IV controlled substance. This drug cannot be shipped to the U.S. without a valid prescription from a physician.