CBP Wants AI-Powered ‘Quantum Sensors’ for Finding Fentanyl in Cars

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is paying General Dynamics to create a prototype of “quantum sensors” coupled with an “artificially intelligent database” designed to “detect illicit objects and substances (such as fentanyl) in vehicles, containers and other devices,” according to a contract justification published in a federal register last week.

“This database and sensor project will integrate advanced quantum and classical sensing technologies with artificial intelligence and ultimately deploy proven concepts and end products anywhere in the CBP environment,” the justification document states. “Under this requirement, CBP will take additional steps to enhance its ability to detect and, in turn, reduce the harm of illicit contraband entering the United States of America, thereby significantly enhancing national security.”

The document redacts the name of the company developing the prototype; However, contract details included in the Federal Register entry reveal that the justification is a $2.4 million General Dynamics contract that has been announced since December 2025.

CBP and General Dynamics did not respond to WIRED’s requests for comment.

CBP’s request for a prototype “quantum sensors” with an AI database — which comes amid a broad push within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to “support the adoption and expansion of AI technologies,” according to a strategy memorandum published last year — involves a real and growing field of scientific and technological research.

Last week’s justification did not go into detail about the methods the “quantum sensors” would use or what information the AI ​​database would store and analyze. However, it does provide hints about the detection methods the agency has considered.

The document claims that CBP conducted market research from April through October of 2025. In July, CBP published an information request seeking a seller for exactly 35 portable “Gemini” analyzers, sold by Thermo Fisher Scientific, that are designed to identify unknown chemicals and drugs.

DHS has also tested Gemini in previous years, according to reports published in 2021 and 2023. The July application — which notes that the devices will be used to identify substances such as fentanyl, ketamine, cocaine, methamphetamine, diazepam and ecstasy — made no mention of artificial intelligence or a database.

“The detection equipment will be used by CBP officers in non-intrusive testing to detect a wide range of narcotics, controlled substances, unknown substances and general organic substances,” the request said, noting that the agency “continues to seize an increasing number of opioids at the nation’s borders.”

An information request filed in July claims that Gemini analysts use “Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy,” which measures how much infrared light is absorbed by a sample, and “Raman spectroscopy,” which measures how light scatters on the sample’s surface when a laser is directed at it.

The contract justification last week said the agency found a US company that makes a “portable analyzer” to identify hazardous chemicals, but claimed it “cannot detect fentanyl.” It’s unclear whether this refers to Gemini or one of more than 10 other devices DHS tested in 2021 and 2023. But when reached for comment, Thermo Fisher Scientific said its Gemini analyzers are “designed to detect fentanyl.”

It is also unclear whether General Dynamics’ prototype might use FTIR or Raman spectroscopy. But a 2024 working paper on how to detect fentanyl in the laboratory (unrelated to CBP, General Dynamics, or Thermo Fisher Scientific) notes that “portable Raman spectrometers” and other portable devices — though convenient, fast, and inexpensive — can “have difficulty detecting fentanyl” and may be susceptible to “false positives and false negatives.”

While it remains a mystery what exactly last week’s justification for “quantum” sensors was referring to, there are ways to detect fentanyl that rely on quantum chemistry. For example, a 2024 paper explains how “quantum dots” and a fluorescent dye can be used to detect fentanyl and 58 of its analogues.