JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working in Jacksonville, Florida seized a package of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) arriving from Hong Kong last Friday.
CBP officers examining packages arriving from Hong Kong selected a shipment for further examination.
One of the officers noticed that there was a strong chemical smell emanating from the package.
The liquid substance in a bottle within the package tested positive for GBL. The total weight of the seized drug was 1.35 kilograms, which is equivalent to nearly three pounds.
GBL is a clear, odorless, and near-tasteless liquid that has a high potential for overdose and addiction. Once ingested, GBL quickly converts to gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), the chemical most notoriously associated with drug-facilitated sexual assault because it renders its victims unconscious and incapable of remembering past events.
GBL, as a GHB analog, is treated as a controlled substance under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. It is illegal to import into the United States without proper permission.
“CBP plays an important role in stopping dangerous drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, from entering the United States and also seizes thousands of pounds of drugs like GBL and GHB every year,” said Jacksonville Port Director Douglas Straatsma. “We are very proud of our CBP officers for their hard work keeping these drugs out of our communities.”
The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
