Mexican authorities seized nearly 300 kilos of fentanyl hidden inside coconuts to be shipped to the United States. The value of the cargo, which was found by authorities in the Mexican state of Sonora in northwest Mexico, is R$43 million.
Fentanyl, a type of opioid, is used in anesthesia as well as an illegal recreational drug and has become a serious problem for the United States. Authorities from the Attorney General’s Office seized coconuts full of drugs from a truck traveling on a road in Puerto Libertad and opened them to reveal the illegal substance.
According to the news of the British Daily Mail, the coconuts were cut in half and glued again after being filled with pill bags. Officers also trapped two people inside the truck headed for the USA. They planned to cross the border from Sonora.
Fentanyl is a powerful opioid pain reliever used to treat severe pain and is usually only available by prescription. It can be 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
It is used with other drugs for anesthesia, but is also illegally used as a recreational drug.
The use of opioids such as fentanyl has plagued the United States for decades. A record 69,000 deaths occurred from strong painkillers in 2020 alone – a new record, rising to over 75,000 in 2021.
The opioid crisis, which has been escalating for decades, peaked during the pandemic, when curfews and hospital closures left people particularly vulnerable to addiction.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.