In two traffic stops this month, authorities in California have found about $1.7 million worth of fentanyl, including one where the illicit substance was hidden in raw beef.
The California Highway Patrol discovered 11 pounds of fentanyl valued at around $500,000. This was the result of the initial stop on October 3 on Interstate 5 in Fresno County.
The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that the substance was found inside several packages of raw carne asada meat kept in a chiller.
The governor’s office issued a news release stating that the suspect from Washington had been captured and was being held at the Fresno County Jail.
The following day, during a Merced County traffic stop on Interstate 5, patrol officers found approximately 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills valued at $1.2 million, according to the governor’s office. Two firearms were also found by the officers, and two Washington residents were taken into custody on a number of felony offenses.
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“Throughout the state, California continues the tough work to get deadly and illegal drugs off our streets. I am proud of the efforts by our CHP officers here to help keep our community safe and hold drug peddlers accountable,” Newsom stated.
The governor’s office reports that since June, when about 250 additional service members were added to state entry ports, California has been able to combat fentanyl trafficking.
