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Braf, a dog from the United States Border Patrol, was recognized on Friday as the K-9 of the quarter for his sector after detecting a pound of fentanyl in a suspicious package in Jacksonville, Florida.
The event was announced by Samuel B. Briggs II, Acting Chief of Patrol for the Miami Sector, through his official account on X, featuring an image of the dog in front of the flags of the United States and the Border Patrol, along with photographs of the seizure.
"Congratulations to the K-9 of the Quarter for the Miami Sector: Braf!" he wrote in his post.
"Braf and his manager responded to a partner's request for assistance regarding a suspicious package. Braf confirmed that something didn't smell right when he identified a pound of fentanyl. The nose knows! Great job, Braf," he added.
The term K-9 or K9 refers to canine units trained to work with the police or security forces for search, rescue, and detection of drugs or explosives.
The operation took place in Jacksonville, in Duval County, when a partner agency reported a package with suspicious characteristics and requested support. Braf, a Belgian Malinois shepherd, identified the presence of drugs through his sense of smell, which allowed for confirmation of the package's contents.
The images of the seizure published alongside the announcement show scattered bags and packaging, sealed white packages, and a drug identification device with a screen displaying the word "Fentanyl."
One pound (about 453 grams) of pure fentanyl contains enough substance to cause thousands of lethal overdoses, as this synthetic opioid is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and has become the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States.
The detection of fentanyl poses a particular challenge for authorities because the drug can be concealed in small amounts within seemingly innocuous packages.
K9 dogs like Braf are capable of identifying concentrations below two parts per million through physical barriers such as packages and vehicles, with an accuracy of between 90% and 95% in field conditions.
The Belgian Malinois is the breed most commonly used by American security agencies due to its combination of agility, endurance, and olfactory capability, which is estimated to be about fifty times more sensitive than that of humans.
These animals are trained for 12 to 18 months to detect multiple controlled substances and can work effectively for six to eight hours a day.
The Miami Sector of the Border Patrol covers more than 1,200 miles of coastline in Florida and Georgia, with operations focused on detecting drug smuggling transported by sea from the Caribbean and Central America. Under Briggs' leadership, the sector has increased collaboration with state agencies such as the Florida Highway Patrol.
The "K-9 of the Quarter" recognition is an internal distinction of the Miami Sector that highlights the outstanding work of K-9 teams over a specific period, aiming to raise public awareness of the efforts of these specialized units in the fight against drug trafficking.
In 2025, the Trump administration reported the seizure of 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl in the first 200 days, a 25% increase compared to the previous period, and a overall reduction in the trafficking of this drug to more than half compared to 2024 since May of that year.
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