LOS ANGELES — Agents with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration made history in California when they seized 1 million fake pills that contained fentanyl.
The DEA announced the historic bust in a news release, saying it was the largest seizure of fentanyl the organization had ever made in California. The seizure was done as part of an investigation into drug trafficking in the Los Angeles area believed to be linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, agents said.
Agents found the drugs after serving a search warrant at a home believed to be a stash house linked to the cartel, the Los Angeles Times reported. Agents told the newspaper that the fake pills were designed to mimic real prescription drugs in terms of size, color and shape.
Agents estimated the street value of the seized pills to be between $15 million and $20 million. Photographs shared by the DEA show the pills stacked in packages, as well as in duffel bags.
“This massive seizure disrupted the flow of dangerous amounts of fentanyl into our streets and probably saved many lives,” Bill Bodner, DEA special agent in charge, said in a statement. “The deceptive marketing coupled with the ease of accessibility makes these small and seemingly innocuous pills a significant threat to the health and safety of all our communities. A staggering number of teens and young adults are unaware that they are ingesting fentanyl in these fake pills and are being poisoned.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, the CDC said.
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