By Don Sweeney
Source Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)
A traffic stop led to the discovery of 11 pounds of fentanyl hidden inside packages of carne asada, California authorities reported.
A California Highway Patrol officer pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 5 in Fresno County on Oct. 3, according to a news release by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
A police K-9 alerted the officer to a cooler in the vehicle containing packets of carne asada, the governor’s office said.
The officer discovered 11 pounds of fentanyl worth an estimated $500,000 hidden inside the packages of beef, the CHP said in a news release.
A 30-year-old Washington man faces charges of possessing fentanyl for sale and transporting fentanyl across non-contiguous counties, the CHP said.
Photos with the release show officers pulling apart carne asada to reveal soda cans and cakes of fentanyl. One shows the suspect vehicle with a “GOTBEEF” license plate.
Newsom’s office called it a “meaty haul.” The CHP seized an estimated $1.7 million in fentanyl, including the Fresno County bust, in one week, the office said.
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