Dulles CBP officers seize nearly 70,000 Ambien pills hidden in yarn shipment

WAHINGTON (7News) — A routine Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection of a shipment from India led to the discovery of nearly 70,000 Zolpidem Tartrate pills, commonly known as Ambien, concealed in spools of yarn at Washington Dulles International Airport, authorities said,

The seizure happened on Jan. 16, following an initial examination in mid-December, officials said.

CBP officers at an air cargo warehouse near Dulles first flagged the shipment on Dec. 17, 2024. The package, consisting of 96 rolls of black yarn spooled around pink tubes, was en route to Buena Park, California.

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After unspooling one of the yarn rolls, officers found multiple 10-pill blister packs taped to the pink tube.

The pills, labeled Zolpidem Tartrate, are classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Officials said the drug belongs to a class of sedative-hypnotic medications prescribed for treating insomnia.

In total, the shipment contained 69,813 pills, inside each of the 96 spools of black yarn, weighing 60 pounds. The shipment had an estimated domestic value of $33,000.