In Fresno County, CHP seizes fentanyl found stuffed in carne asada

During a recent traffic stop on I-5 in Fresno County, a California Highway Patrol K9 handler seized approximately 11 pounds of fentanyl, with an estimated street value of $500,000. California Highway Patrol officers scored a “meaty haul” in early October when they seized nearly $1.7 million worth of fentanyl in the Central Valley, some of which was found packed inside carne asada. A photo of the traffic stop posted by CHP shows a Ford SUV with a Washington license plate that reads: “GOTBEEF.” Inside the cooler, authorities found soft drinks, seltzers, bottles of water and multiple packages of raw beef stuffed with 11 pounds of fentanyl, which they valued at $500,000. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the seizures were part of the state’s continued effort to get “deadly and illegal drugs off our streets.” The fentanyl was concealed in meat packages inside the vehicle. The state has invested more than $1 billion to crack down on opioid trafficking, the governor’s office said, as part of Newsom’s “Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis.” His administration expanded the California National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force by doubling the number of service members assigned to intercept drug traffickers along ports of entries.