Philadelphia CBP officers seize over 32,000 unapproved and potentially dangerous medicines destined to Georgia

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized over 32,000 unapproved prescription tablets in Philadelphia last week that were being smuggled from Europe to an address in Georgia.

CBP officers seized 17,000 tramadol tablets on April 30 shipped in an air parcel from the Netherlands, and a mixed cache of medicines on April 29 shipped in an air parcel from London. The London parcel contained 7,500 lorazepam tablets, 2,600 zolpidem tablets, 2,500 diazepam tablets, and 2,500 alprazolam.

Both parcels were manifested as something different – “XOMETRY” on April 30 and “100 X TSHIRT (GIFT)” on April 29 – to conceal the parcels’ illegal contents and were destined to the same address in Spalding County, Georgia.

Tramadol is a synthetic opioid analgesic prescribed by doctors to treat moderate to moderately severe pain, and a Schedule IV substance under the Controlled Substances Act due to the risk of addiction, misuse, and abuse.

According to the DEA, lorazepam, diazepam, and alprazolam, commonly known as Ativan, Valium, and Xanax, respectively, are benzodiazepines, or central nervous system depressants prescribed to treat one or more of anxiety disorders, panic attacks, insomnia or other similar symptoms. Zolpidem, commonly known as Ambien, is a non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic Z-drug used to treat insomnia. All are known on the streets as downers, benzos, or tranqs. All are Schedule IV controlled substances.

Consumers may have little chance to be certain that the medicines they order online from overseas or from third-party vendors are authentic and not a compressed chemical concoction of toxic fillers, including fentanyl, that can cause them serious harm.

“Our primary concerns, especially with illegally imported bulk orders of prescription medicines, are the efficacy and safety of an unapproved medicine, and the serious danger that unapproved medicine pose to the importer’s unwitting victims,” said Acting Area Port Director Elliott N. Ortiz, CBP’s Area Port of Philadelphia. “Customs and Border Protection urges consumers to protect themselves and take only medicines prescribed by medical professionals and purchased from known pharmacies. Cheaper is not always better.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, protects public health by promoting supply chain integrity and working to ensure medicines imported to the U.S. comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, such as FDA’s standards for quality, safety and effectiveness. With certain exceptions, drugs must be proven to be safe and effective for use before companies can sell them in the U.S. A drug that lacks FDA-approval is unapproved. View FDA guidance on the lawful importation of prescription medicines.

Consumers can read CBP’s discussion on lawfully importing prescriptions medicines from outside the United States. CBP also provides basic import information about admissibility requirements and the clearance process for e-commerce goods and encourages buyers to confirm that their purchases and the importation of those purchases comply with all state and federal regulations.

CBP's border security mission is led at our nation’s Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

Click on CBP enforcement stats to see what else CBP accomplished while protecting our national security and enforcing U.S. laws. Learn more at www.CBP.gov.

Follow the Director of CBP’s Baltimore Field Office on X @DFOBaltimore for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos, and CBP’s Office of Field Operations on Instagram @cbpfieldops.