Police in Southern California recovered more than 1,000 pounds in various drugs including meth, cocaine and fentanyl pills. Per officials, this marks the “largest drug bust in Orange County in 16 years.”
The district attorney’s office stated that prosecutors filed federal charges against 36-year-old Edgar Alfonso Lamas and 53-year-old Carlos Raygozaparedes. Apparently, Buena Park officers recovered enough fentanyl to “kill 4.7 million people.”
“Millions of unsuspecting people have the grim reaper looking over their shoulder and they have no idea how close they actually are to dying from taking a single pill,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in Wednesday’s release.
How Much Drugs?
Authorities seized “821 pounds of meth, 189.7 pounds of cocaine and 20.5 pounds of fentanyl pills” on March 17, 2022. Police made the historic discovery after pulling Edgar and Carlos over as they left a Buena Park home. The men were driving a minivan that contained the drugs.
The DA’s press releases states that fentanyl is lethal in amounts as small as 2 milligrams. When converted, the recovered 20.5 pounds of fentanyl pills total 9,298,644 milligrams. DA Todd expressed that millions of unsuspecting people are unaware of their proximity to death “from taking a single pill.”
“Fentanyl is cheap, it’s easy to get and it is killing our children, our coworkers, and tens of thousands of innocent Americans who don’t have to die,” DA Todd said. “Drug dealers don’t care about you or your loved ones – they only care about their bottom line and making as much money as possible.”
Charges And Potential Prison Time
Both men are facing serious charges for the discovered drugs. Edgar and Carlos’ charges include six felony counts involving possession of sale of a controlled substance, sale or transportation for sale of a controlled substance and possession of sale of a controlled substance. Additionally, both men are also facing four felony enhancements due to the volume and weight of the drugs.
If prosecutors convict Edgar and Carlos on all charges, the men face a maximum sentence of 37 years and four months. Despite the damning discovery, Edgar and Carlos have pled not guilty to all charges, but remain in police custody. Their bail is set at five million dollars.
In November 2021, DA Todd announced that drug dealers or distributors could face a murder charge if their illegal activities lead to someone’s death.
“With fentanyl in an estimated 40 percent of street drugs, it’s not a matter of if but when someone you know and love dies from fentanyl,” DA Todd said. “We have to continue to do everything we can to combat this deadly drug epidemic and save lives.”
Officials set a preliminary hearing for June 7. This is a developing story.
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