Two New Jersey men face charges after the Nebraska State Patrol found nearly 120 pounds of fentanyl in their semi.
The Nebraska State Patrol held a press conference yesterday about the drug bust, calling it “largest fentanyl seizure in Nebraska history (by far) and one of the largest ever in the United States.”
The incident occurred April 26, 2018 on Interstate 80 near Kearney, Nebraska, according to SFGate.
The drugs were discovered during a routine traffic stop after the truck was seen driving in the shoulder lane. Troopers searched the vehicle and found $20 million worth of drugs wrapped in foil, and hidden in the truck.
The drugs initially tested positive for cocaine. However, it was later discovered that they had found fentanyl, a powerful opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin.
Fentanyl-related deaths have more than tripled between 2010 and 2016. Matthew Barden, an associate special agent with the DEA, expressed concern.
“This year is going to be a banner year, a record year in a bad way, in overdose deaths in the United States,” Barden said.
The truck driver, 46-year-old Felipe Genao-Minaya, and his passenger, 52-year-old Nelson Nunez were arrested at the scene for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc is extremely proud of the law enforcement.
“I’m especially proud of our troopers and our staff because these drugs, as we know, are contributing to the opioid crisis in our country, which is killing Americans every single day,” Bolduc said. “This work is saving lives. We can’t even extrapolate out the number of lives that this particular bust has impacted.”
