Two Men Arrested in Gulfport Transporting 12 Kilograms of Fentanyl Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Mississippi Dateline: Gulfport, Mississippi Date: 21 November 2023 Subjects: American Government , Crime Topic: Interstate Highway System

Gulfport, Miss. – Two men were arrested today in Harrison County on criminal charges related to their alleged transportation of 12 kilograms of fentanyl while driving on Interstate 10 in Gulfport.

According to court documents, John Lee Price, III, and Ahmed Karim Barrie were pulled over in a pick-up truck, pulling a horse trailer, on I-10 when the driver of the vehicle was observed to commit a traffic violation.  During the traffic stop, the two men were found to be in possession of roughly 50,000 fake pills that were weighed, and field tested as roughly 12 kilograms of fentanyl.

Price and Barrie are both charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (fentanyl). If convicted, they each face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the  Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Updated November 21, 2023