They kidnapped 21 kilos of carfentanil, enough to “kill more than 50 million people”

The authorities of the Riverside County, California, arrested two suspects and kidnapped 21 kilos of carfentanil, a powerful synthetic opioid capable of killing with a single dose. A man and a woman have been charged by the district attorney with four drug-related crimes after a lengthy investigation by the California County Police Department.

“The investigation resulted in the seizure of tens of kilos of illicit drugs, including 21 kilos of carfentanil. Carfentanil is an analogue of the artificial opioid fentanyl. It is highly regulated and is not intended or approved for use in humans. And it is more potent and potentially much more deadly than fentanyl.», According to official information from the public prosecutor’s office.

The suspects were identified as Andres Jesus Morales, 30 years old and Christine ponce, out of 27, who were charged with four crimes each for possession of a controlled substance for sale. They both pleaded not guilty.

Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams of fentanyl is enough to make the amount lethal. Carfentanil, on the other hand, is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.. A lethal dose of carfentanil in humans would be on the order of a nanogram, far less than the two milligrams of fentanyl needed to kill. According to information from the Riverside authorities, “mixed with other drugs, the 21 kilos of carfentanil seized could have been enough to kill more than 50 million people“.

Riverside Police served a search warrant at a house in Glimmer Way in Perris where they seized the 21 kilos of carfentanil, four kilos of cocaine and one kilo of heroin. No one was in the house when the order was served. However, detectives were able to identify Morales and Ponce as the main suspects. Since the beginning of the year, Riverside detectives of the Narcotics Unit They investigated an alleged drug trafficking organization purporting to supply fentanyl, cocaine and heroin in Riverside County.

Fentanyl is sold as a heroin in virtually every corner of the world. United States. It is produced clandestinely in Mexico, but it also comes directly from China. She is between 40 and 50 times stronger than the street heroine. A very small amount swallowed or absorbed through the skin can kill you. Carfentanil, for its part, is much more lethal and has the same origin, according to North American authorities.

The tragedy of fentanyl in the United States

“US faces unprecedented crisis of overdose deaths fueled by illegally manufactured fentanyl and methamphetamine“, noted Anne Milgram, administrator of Drug Administration (DEA). “Counterfeit pills containing these dangerous and extremely addictive drugs are deadlier and more accessible than ever. In fact, DEA lab tests show that two out of five fentanyl pills contain a potentially fatal dose. The DEA focuses its resources on eliminating the violent drug traffickers who cause the most harm and pose the greatest threat to the safety and health of Americans. Today, we are alerting the public to this danger so that people have the information they need to protect themselves and their children.The agency said in a document released on Monday.

The vast majority of counterfeit pills imported into the United States are produced in Mexico, and China supplies chemicals for the manufacture of fentanyl to Mexico..

The drug overdose crisis in the United States is a serious threat to public safety, with rates currently reaching the highest level in history, according to the to give. Drug traffickers are using fake pills to exploit the opioid crisis and prescription drug abuse in the country, resulting in overdose deaths and violence in American communities.

According to Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2020 more than 93,000 people died of overdoses in the United States. Fentanyl – the synthetic opioid most often found in counterfeit pills – is the main driver behind this alarming increase in overdose deaths. Methamphetamine-related drug poisoning, increasingly found in counterfeit pills, also continues to increase as illegal pills containing methamphetamine become more widespread.

Drug trafficking is also inextricably linked with violence. This year alone, the DEA seized more than 2,700 firearms in drug trafficking investigations, a 30% increase from 2019. The DEA remains steadfast in its mission to protect our communities, to enforce drug laws, drugs from the United States; and to bring to justice foreign and domestic criminals who procure, produce and distribute illicit drugs, including counterfeit pills.

KEEP READING: