A meaty haul: CHP seizes $1.7 million worth of fentanyl in less than a week — including in raw beef
What you need to know: The California Highway Patrol recently conducted two enforcement stops leading to the seizure of nearly $1.7 million of illegal fentanyl and multiple illegally possessed firearms and the arrests of three out-of-state suspects in the Central Valley — including one who attempted to hide fentanyl inside multiple packages of raw beef.
SACRAMENTO — The California Highway Patrol (CHP) last week conducted two traffic stops on Interstate 5 in the Central Valley, leading to the seizure of 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills and 11 pounds of fentanyl valued at $1.7 million. The officers arrested three suspects from out of state, including one who had attempted to conceal the illegal drugs inside multiple packages of raw beef.
“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.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
In the last week, the CHP announced the following operations:
- Fresno County – On October 3, a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Fresno County led to a major drug bust after a CHP canine officer was alerted to the presence of narcotics in a cooler in the vehicle. The cooler contained multiple packages of carne asada beef, used to conceal the presence of 11 pounds of fentanyl valued at approximately $500,000. The suspect, a resident of the State of Washington, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Fresno County Jail on felony charges of possession of fentanyl for sale and transportation of fentanyl across non-contiguous counties.
- Merced County — On October 4, 2024, a CHP Central Division canine officer seized around 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills and two handguns during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Los Banos. The discovery, with an estimated street value of $1.2 million, resulted in the arrest of two suspects, both from the State of Washington, on multiple felony charges.
Cracking down on fentanyl
California is taking aggressive action to end the fentanyl and opioid crisis. The Governor’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis provides a comprehensive framework to deepen the impact of these investments, including aggressive steps to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl.
In June, Governor Newsom expanded the deployment of the Cal Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force by more than doubling the number of service members interdicting fentanyl and other drugs at California ports of entry from 155 to nearly 400. This effort has produced strong results. Cal Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force has now seized over 5,000 pounds of fentanyl powder and 9.6 million pills containing fentanyl since January 2024. These seizures are valued at over $43 million. Fentanyl is primarily smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens through ports of entry.
Addressing the opioid crisis
The state launched opioids.ca.gov, a one-stop tool for Californians seeking resources for prevention and treatment, as well as information on how California is working to hold Big Pharma and drug traffickers accountable in this crisis.
As part of Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, over-the-counter CalRx®-branded naloxone is now becoming available across the state. Through the Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP), CalRx®-branded over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone HCL nasal spray, 4 mg, will be available for free to eligible organizations through the state or for sale for $24 per twin-pack through Amneal.
Images above may be credited to the California Highway Patrol.