California officials have seized nearly $1.7 million worth of fentanyl this month in two traffic stops, including one where the illegal drug was concealed in raw beef.
The first stop occurred Oct. 3 on Interstate 5 in Fresno County, where California Highway Patrol found 11 pounds of fentanyl worth around $500,000. The drug was located inside multiple packages of raw carne asada beef stored in a cooler, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
Officers arrested the Washington suspect, who was booked in Fresno County Jail, the governor’s office said in a news release.
The next day, patrol officers seized around 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills worth $1.2 million during a Merced County traffic stop on Interstate 5, the governor’s office said. Officers also recovered two handguns and arrested two Washington residents who face multiple felony charges.
“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 said in the news release.