Authorities also seized 5,000 grams of heroin and 1,500 grams of methamphetamine.
Even a tiny amount of fentanyl the size of a grain of rice can be fatal, which is why authorities in Ohio were so shocked to seize 20 kilograms of fentanyl during a recent drug bust.
Vance Callender, Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge for Michigan and Ohio, participated in the raid, which included agents from Montogomery County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Attorney General’s Office, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, according to News 5 Cleveland.
Callender said, “20 kilograms of fentanyl is enough to kill the entire population of Ohio, many times over. As this significant seizure makes clear, HSI and our partners are united in our resolve to protect our communities and our country from the deadly scourge of drug trafficking. We stand ready to use every tool and resource at our disposal to attack and dismantle these organizations from the low-level dealers to the source of supply with our law enforcement partners.”
A Weapon Of Mass Destruction
Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General, that the amount of fentanyl, worth millions, was large enough that it could be thought of as a weapon of mass destruction. He said that the bust highlighted the “enormity of the opioid problem” in his state.
He added, ”This is an enormous amount of deadly drugs that will no longer be on our streets.”
At the bust, authorities also seized 5,000 grams of heroin and 1,500 grams of methamphetamine. They recovered about $30,000 in cash and three firearms.
Three suspects were charged in connection with the raid: Shamar Davis, 31, Anthony Franklin, 20, and Grady Jackson, 37. They’re facing charges for being felons in possession of firearms and for distributing 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said that the men posed a huge danger to the community.
“These illegal drugs ruin lives, destroy families, fuel violence, drives up property crime, and wrecks neighborhoods. Anyone associated with it—especially those who sell and traffic it—are doing violence to people and causing harm in our communities,” he said.
The Biggest Fentanyl Bust Of The Year
Although the size of the fentanyl seizure is astounding, it’s not the biggest bust on record. Earlier this year, Customs and Border Protection officials near the Mexican border found more than 100 kilos of fentanyl hidden in a tractor trailer that was also carrying cucumbers, and meth. That seizure, which was made with the help of drug-sniffing dogs, netted fentanyl worth at least $3.5 million, authorities said at the time.
