CA drug bust: $1.7 million worth of fentanyl seized, some found in packages of raw meat

LOS ANGELES - The California Highway Patrol seized nearly $1.7 million worth of fentanyl and multiple firearms during an operation in California's Central Valley.

According to CHP, last week they conducted two traffic stops on the 5 Freeway in the Central Valley, leading to the seizure of 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills and 11 pounds of fentanyl valued at $1.7 million. 

Officers also arrested three suspects from out of state, including one who had attempted to find the drugs inside multiple packages of raw beef.

The first operation occurred Oct. 3 in Fresno County.  A CHP canine officer was alerted to the presence of drugs hidden in a cooler in the vehicle. The cooler contained multiple packages of carne asada beef, which were used to conceal the 11 pounds of fentanyl, valued at approximately $500,000. 

The suspect, who was from Washington, was arrested at the scene.

The second operation occurred a day later in Merced County. A CHP canine officer seized around 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills and two handguns during a traffic stop in Los Banos. The pills had a street value of $1.2 million. Two people, also from Washington, were arrested at the scene.

The state of California is taking major steps to end the fentanyl and opioid crisis. In June, Governor Newsom expanded the deployment of the Cal Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force at California ports. As a result, the task force has seized over 5,000 pounds of fentanyl powder and 9.6 million pills containing fentanyl since January 2024. The seizures are valued at over $43 million.