© 2026 ABC News

Authorities seized 143 pounds of meth and 220 grams of fentanyl worth about $500,000 -- packed into two plastic containers riding shotgun on the aircraft.

Despite the relatively small quantity, fentanyl is so strong -- about 50 times stronger than heroin -- that it is measured in micrograms, or 1 milllionth of a gram, according to the Harm Reduction Coalition.

Flying drugs across the border is not as common as other methods, but the Border Patrol said, \"Transnational criminal organizations use a wide range of techniques to smuggle both humans and narcotics into the United States.\"

Even drones are being used to smuggle drugs over the border. A man in San Diego was sentenced to 12 years in prison in January 2018 for remotely piloting a drone to bring meth into the U.S., according to San Diego ABC affiliate KGTV.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/border-patrol-seizes-aircraft-loaded-meth-fentanyl-flies/story?id=63272793","legacySlug":"/news/story/border-patrol-seizes-aircraft-loaded-meth-fentanyl-flies-63272793","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"09:55","publishDate":"05-25-2019","updatedTime":"13:31","updatedDate":"05-25-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Customs and Border Protection seized an ultralight aircraft bringing meth and fentanyl into the U.S. near Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, May 23, 2019.","credit":"Customs and Border Protection","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/ultralight-plane-smuggler-ho-mo-20190525_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"5/25/2019 09:55:10 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":63272793,"headline":"Border Patrol seizes aircraft loaded with fentanyl","mediaAssetTitle":"OSBORNE_METH_BORDER_PLANE_20190525","description":"The pilot of the single-person aircraft managed to get away.","duration":"11:05","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/05/190517_ntl_tribal_nation_1_1240_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["137060236","137028746","136712647"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"October 7, 2026","headline":"French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","section":"News","slug":"/video/137060236","id":"137060236","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: French protests as hundreds of schools partially shut down this week","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261007_gma_burridge_france1_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"October 6, 2026","headline":"How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","section":"News","slug":"/video/137028746","id":"137028746","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: How abandoned mines across America are wreaking havoc on homeowners","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261006_gma_job_mines1_741_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"September 24, 2026","headline":"Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast ","section":"News","slug":"/video/136712647","id":"136712647","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast and hurricane heading for Hawaii","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tracking the Nor'easter impacting the East Coast and hurricane heading for Hawaii","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260924_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Border Patrol seizes aircraft loaded with fentanyl","description":"The pilot of the single-person aircraft managed to get away.","duration":"11:05","uploadDate":"05-25-2019","publication":"05-25-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/05/190517_ntl_tribal_nation_1_1240_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/05/190517_ntl_tribal_nation_1_1240_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/border-patrol-seizes-aircraft-loaded-meth-fentanyl-flies-63272793"}},"playlist":[{"id":"137147457","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137132187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945841","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136930796","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136874802","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136841854","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136766868","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136694294","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136682772","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136631130","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136644492","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136623234","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136614308","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136605272","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136553132","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136553226","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136557362","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136480407","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136499152","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Border Patrol seizes aircraft loaded with fentanyl","pubTime":"05:55","pubDate":"05-25-2019","modTime":"09:31","modDate":"05-25-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":63272793,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Border Patrol seizes aircraft loaded with fentanyl","mediaAssetTitle":"OSBORNE_METH_BORDER_PLANE_20190525","videoId":63272793,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/border-patrol-seizes-aircraft-loaded-meth-fentanyl-flies-63272793"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/63272793","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/63272793","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};