2 Men Arrested With Enough Fentanyl To Kill 4 Million People, Biggest Drug Bust in 16 Years

Orange County police announced that they completed a massive drug bust of dealers that had a massive supply of the deadly drug fentanyl, which they say could have killed up to 4.7 million people if it was successfully distributed. Police say this is the biggest drug bust in the county in about 16 years.

The drugs were found in a minivan driven by two men, Edgar Alfonso Lamaslopez, 36, and Carlos Raygozaparedes, 53. The two men have been arrested, and after searching their van authorities found the fentanyl pills, as well as 821 pounds of meth and just below 190 pounds of cocaine.

Medical experts agree that as little as two milligrams of fentanyl are enough to kill someone, and most fentanyl poisoning deaths have come from people taking other drugs, not knowing that they have been laced with fentanyl.

Lamaslopez and Raygozaparedes have each been charged with three felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, and because of the high number of drugs they had, the two could face an increased sentence. They are in custody with bail set at $5 million and have pleaded not guilty. They face a max sentence of 37 years and 4 months if convicted.

Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer said in a public statement. “Drug dealers don’t care about your loved ones – they only care about their bottom line.” He then continued, “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.” Spitzer may even begin pursuing murder charges for dealers peddling fentanyl because of the deadly potency of the drug.