U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Louisville, Ky., seized enough of the synthetic opioid fentanyl on Thursday to kill more than 50,000 people.
CBP agents seized a suspicious medicine shipment from India that was bound for Ontario, Canada. Inside the package, they found five pill bottles, which tested positive for "fentanyl properties," with a street value of at least $15,000, according to a CBP press release.
The fentanyl was enough to kill 50,200 people, authorities stated.
"Even though this shipment may seem like a very small amount, remember two milligrams of this stuff is lethal," said Louisville CBP Port Director Thomas Mahn. "This seizure showcases the excellent work our officers do every day. This is a dangerous opioid, and our officers were able to prevent this deadly drug from reaching its destination."
The drug is deadly to ingest and dangerous even to handle, CBP Chicago Field Operations Director LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke explained.
"This narcotic is not only dangerous to the user, but also very dangerous to our officers," Sutton-Burke said. "Our officers take every precaution with every shipment they inspect, and we are very relieved no one was seriously injured during this seizure."
While overall drug seizures are lower under President Joe Biden than previous administrations, fentanyl seizures remain high. In fiscal year 2022, CBP agents have seized about six times more fentanyl than heroin.
In a major thwarted fentanyl smuggling attempt last month, Border Patrol agents seized about 250 pounds of the deadly drug at the U.S. southern border.
