Authorities discovered 1000's of rainbow-colored fentanyl tablets hidden inside a Lego field, the Drug Enforcement Administration introduced this week. The nighttime bust occurred in Manhattan final week, resulting in the arrest of a New Jersey lady.
"Rainbow fentanyl is a transparent and current hazard, and it's right here in New York Metropolis," DEA Particular Agent in Cost Frank Tarentino mentioned a press launch.
Officers known as it the largest such seizure thus far in New York Metropolis, and mentioned the medicine had been meant for widespread distribution. Federal brokers are working to crack down on violent drug cartels in Mexico believed to be trafficking the medicine into the U.S.
First reported in February, the rainbow-colored tablets have been seized in at the very least 21 states, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram mentioned final month. Whereas fentanyl continues to be extra generally disguised as oxycodone or one other prescription drug, officers say the rainbow tablets are on the rise.
"Disguising fentanyl as sweet — and concealing it in youngsters's toys — won't ever cover the truth that fentanyl is a lethal poison that harms our communities, our households, and our metropolis," NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell mentioned in a press release.
Investigators mentioned they noticed the suspect, 48-year-old Latesha Bush, carrying what gave the impression to be a black tote bag wrapped round a big object as she entered a automobile.
After they stopped the automobile, regulation enforcement allegedly discovered two black tote baggage and a yellow Lego container with a number of brick-shaped packages lined in black tape mendacity subsequent to the constructing blocks. Black tape masking one of many packages had been partially opened, exposing the colourful tablets inside.
There have been roughly 15,000 tablets, and preliminary testing confirmed the presence of fentanyl, in keeping with the DEA. Fentanyl is a lab-created opioid drug that may be 50 instances stronger than heroin, so even a small quantity can result in deadly overdoses.
The suspect was arraigned in Manhattan Prison Courtroom final Friday and bail was set, officers famous within the press launch.
"This operation alone eliminated the equal of 500,000 deadly doses of fentanyl from circulation within the Empire State," Tarentino mentioned. "In the identical reporting interval, DEA seized the equal of over 36 million deadly doses nationally."
Two Mexican drug cartels are accountable for almost all of fentanyl within the U.S., in keeping with federal officers: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Technology Cartel.
"These cartels are appearing with calculated, deliberate treachery to get fentanyl to america and to get folks to purchase it via pretend tablets, by hiding it in different medicine, any implies that they will take to be able to drive dependancy and to earn a living," Milgram informed "CBS Mornings" final month.
The Division of Justice considers the Jalisco cartel to be "one of many 5 most harmful transnational prison organizations on the planet." The cartel's chief, Nemesio Oseguera, "El Mencho," is among the many most sought by Mexican and U.S. authorities.