Governor Greg Abbott announced this week that Texas state troopers seized 3,1,000,000 lethal doses of fentanyl during a single traffic stop in the border hamlet of Mission.
The narcotics, with an estimated street value of $312,000, represent one of the largest seizures to date by Operation Lone Star, which Abbott launched in 2021 to combat crime in border communities.
Monday, police stopped Mario Reyna Cantu, a 39-year-old Mexican national driving a black Cadillac SUV for a traffic violation.
During the stop, a trooper discovered five bundles of a white powdery substance that tested positive for fentanyl both at the site and at a crime lab operated by the state Department of Public Safety.
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“Because of this single seizure, millions of lethal doses of fentanyl will not reach communities across our state and country, potentially saving millions of lives,” said Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw in a statement.
Reyna Cantu was lodged at the Hidalgo County Jail on charges of drug possession.
Fentanyl, a potent opioid that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin, has fueled the most recent phase of the opioid epidemic in Texas and the rest of the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a record 106,699 Americans perished in drug overdoses in 2021, of which about 70% involved fentanyl.
Abbott reports that in the two years since the beginning of Operation Lone Star, state law enforcement has seized more than 380 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
Fentanyl, which is available in tablet, powder, and liquid form, is frequently diluted with other illicit substances, such as heroin and counterfeit pills.
Tuesday, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill to decriminalize fentanyl test strips by a vote of 143-2. This measure is intended to reduce narcotic overdoses.
Customs and Border Protection has seized 11,000 pounds of fentanyl along the entire southwest border in the first five months of fiscal year 2023, putting it on course to easily surpass the 14,700 pounds of fentanyl seized in fiscal year 2022.
