Police seize enough fentanyl to 'kill a quarter of California's population' | California

A routine traffic stop in California's Central Valley turned into a major fentanyl bust when authorities seized enough lethal doses to kill a quarter of California's population, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

In a statement released Friday, CHP officials in Stockton, about 50 miles south of the capital Sacramento, said officers discovered “an alarming amount of fentanyl” during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 near Airport Boulevard last month. Laced pills” after a police dog signaled the smell of narcotics.

Officers discovered two duffel bags and a shopping bag full of counterfeit oxycodone, or M30, pills. In total, more than 330,000 tablets worth over £33 were seized. The driver, who was registered in Washington, was arrested and taken to the Yolo County Jail.

“To illustrate, the (Drug Enforcement Administration) reports that just a few milligrams of fentanyl is deadly. “With enough pills in this seizure to produce between 10 and 15 million lethal doses, that’s an amount that could kill a quarter of California’s population,” CHP officials said.

An image of the bust posted on Facebook showed the pills packaged in clear plastic bags and stacked on a car.

The late October raid came just weeks after CHP officers seized $1.7 million worth of fentanyl during two stop-and-frisk operations in California's Central Valley. Officers arrested three suspects from out of state, including one person who tried to hide the drugs in several packages of raw carne asada beef.

Since January, the California National Guard Anti-Drug Task Force has seized more than 5,000 pounds of fentanyl powder and 9.6 million pills containing fentanyl, representing a seizure value of more than $43 million.

According to a 2022 report from the think tank Cato Institute, 89% of convicted fentanyl traffickers in 2022 were U.S. citizens. In 2023, 93% of fentanyl seizures in the U.S. occurred at legal border crossings or checkpoints inside vehicles.

Fentanyl, which can be snorted, smoked, taken orally as a pill or tablet, or applied to blotter paper, produces a variety of physical effects including relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting to DEA.

Signs of fentanyl overdose include changes in pupil size, clammy skin, cyanosis, or a bluish discoloration of the skin, lips, and nail beds caused by lack of oxygen in the blood. It can also lead to coma and respiratory failure.