In a record-breaking drug bust, the Drug Enforcement Administration said on Thursday it seized approximately 1 million fake pills containing fentanyl in Inglewood, California, earlier this month.
“This record-breaking bust is the largest seizure of fentanyl pills (the) DEA has made in California,” the DEA said in a statement.
DEA agents executed a federal search warrant on July 5, which resulted in the seizure of one million fentanyl pills. The fentanyl-laced pills were linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel. Agents executed the search warrant after investigating the drug trafficking organization in May.
The recent bust is the largest amount of fentanyl pills DEA agents have seized in California thus far. The fake fentanyl pills were reportedly worth $15 to $20 million.
#DEA #LA makes record-breaking bust of 1 million fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, which is the largest seizure of #fentanyl pills DEA has made in CA. The pills were intended for retail distribution & est. street value of $15-$20 million💵
READ➡️ https://t.co/kn3uFOtC64 pic.twitter.com/RzEvdkMYm6
— DEALosAngeles (@DEALOSANGELES) July 14, 2022
DEA Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner said in a statement, “This massive seizure disrupted the flow of dangerous amounts of fentanyl into our streets and probably saved many lives.”
The Gateway Pundit added:
The pills seized were produced in Mexico and designed to resemble brand-name prescription medications such as Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, Xanax, and Adderall.
“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,” Bodner said.
Bonner noted that “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 that is 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. The drug was created as a legitimate pharmaceutical drug used to treat severe pain after surgery and in advanced-stage cancer patients.
The greater Los Angeles area is a major trans-shipment hub where illegal drugs coming from the southwest border are stored in local warehouses, storage units, and residential properties, the DEA reported.
The bulk shipments of drugs are usually broken down into smaller quantities and transported to other states or distributed to local dealers.
The greater Los Angeles area has many international airports, freeways, and bus and train lines that make it easy for shipments to be smuggled to other destinations.
Source: TheGatewayPundit