MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials on Thursday announced a “historic” seizure of more than a half-ton of fentanyl with an estimated street value of approximately $230 million.
Mexico’s army and National Guard officials said in a statement that they confiscated the deadly narcotic at a warehouse in the northern city of Culiacan, The Associated Press reported. Ten men were arrested in the July 2 raid.
“This is the largest seizure in (the) history of this lethal drug,” Assistant Public Safety Secretary Ricardo Mejia told reporters.
As little as 2 milligrams of the synthetic opioid can be lethal. The drug is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The nearly 1,200 pounds of fentanyl discovered Thursday could have produced millions of pills, the AP reported.
Culiacan is the capital of Sinaloa state, which is home to the drug cartel of the same name, according to the news organization.
Soldiers also found a half-ton of methamphetamine in the raid, along with cocaine, opium and at least 70 tons of precursor chemicals, according to the AP.
©2022 Cox Media Group
