Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) General Biological Scientist Dr. Andrea Wiggins, Ph.D., shares how S&T develops technologies to ensure the safety of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) field staff and the nation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) works tirelessly every day to detect and confiscate drugs, weapons, and other illicit items that can put lives in danger. In fiscal year 2024 alone, CBP screened over 2.9 million individuals and over 38 million pieces of cargo at our nation’s borders. It also detected and confiscated over 573,000 pounds of illicit drugs (including over 21,000 pounds of fentanyl) and close to 5,000 weapons. These statistics serve as a critical reminder that safeguarding our communities and strengthening border security are ongoing efforts that require innovation and collaboration across DHS and its various partners and stakeholders.
S&T provides technical support to CBP's mission of combating the illicit drug crisis at the nation's borders. One aspect of this support is S&T’s collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and CBP’s Laboratories and Scientific Services (LSS) to develop a cutting-edge fentanyl vapor and particle detection technology with enhanced sensitivity and portability. Through this partnership, our S&T team is actively developing and evaluating a trace-vapor analysis prototype based on an atmospheric flow tube coupled to a mass spectrometer (AFT-MS) capable of contactless-screening for the presence of illicit drugs, including fentanyl.
This technology will provide a valuable resource to CBP, enabling safer, more accurate, and rapid detection and identification of illicit fentanyl and other drugs. The deployment of a near-instantaneous screening capability will allow CBP to prevent the infiltration of these materials across our borders and reduce harm to American citizens. The AFT-MS technology may also assist in enhancing the effectiveness of CBP’s canine training aid program, by serving as a second method for fentanyl-presence verification and enabling CBP’s working canines at ports of entry to catch a break.
The novel AFT-MS technology identifies the presumptive presence of illicit fentanyl in operational environments, such as U.S. ports of entry (PoE) and checkpoints. This technology uses selective ionization chemistry and the known unique chemical formula of fentanyl and its molecular weight to identify fentanyl after it is sucked into the AFT-MS device through a ~0.5 m tube. The fentanyl molecule is ionized in the AFT through the addition of a proton, which enables detection by the mass spectrometer. In the mass spectrometer, the abundance of the protonated fentanyl is monitored.
Other drugs, such as xylazine·H+, can be similarly detected based on molecular weight plus a proton. The presumptive presence of fentanyl is confirmed by a peak on a graph labeled with the signal intensity on the y-axis and molecular weight-to-charge ratio (m/z) on the x-axis. If a peak becomes visible—for instance, while a vehicle pulls up to a U.S. PoE and a CBP officer performs an inspection on it—then results would indicate the presence of illicit fentanyl instantaneously. CBP officers could then go on to confiscate the contraband.
S&T, PNNL, and CBP LSS recently completed an initial evaluation of the AFT-MS technology at operational sites, testing the technology in preparation for optimizing the vapor collection and sampling methods to improve performance. Additional evaluation and analysis at border checkpoints, and similar operational environments, around the country is planned to enhance the screening capabilities of this prototype and ensure that it will meet CBP’s needs in the field. Our ultimate goal is to transition the fentanyl vapor detection tool to CBP for deployment at key points of entry around the nation.
Visit S&T’s Opioid/Fentanyl Detection page to learn more about other technologies and initiatives that S&T is developing to protect both our frontline responders and communities.