GALVESTON, Texas — A 63-year-old man from Henderson, Texas, identified as Jeffrey Don Conkey, was arrested at the Port of Galveston on April 20 after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered illicit drugs in his luggage during a routine baggage inspection.
Conkey, who was returning from a Royal Caribbean cruise to Mexico, was found with over 70 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl and nearly 100 grams of THC vape oil, according to CBP officials. The substances were uncovered during a more detailed baggage examination upon the ship’s arrival at the port.
CBP officers’ findings included several vape pens containing marijuana THC and prescription pill bottles. Two of the bottles contained a powdery substance that later tested positive for fentanyl and heroin, authorities said.
The arrest followed a previous encounter in 2018, where Conkey was reportedly involved in bringing marijuana through a border crossing, prompting federal officers to conduct an additional screening. The passenger was apprehended by local authorities and charged with possession of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony.
Conkey was booked into the Galveston County Jail and later released on a $75,000 bond. He was turned over to the Port of Galveston Police Department following his arrest.
Although CBP did not disclose the name of the cruise ship, it was reported that the only vessel docking at the port on April 20 was Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, which had completed a seven-day cruise to Roatan, Honduras, and Costa Maya, Mexico.
The discovery highlights the ongoing concern about the trafficking of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which, according to the CDC and CBP, are now the leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S.
