Fresno County, CA – On January 27, 2023, a traffic stop by a California Highway Patrol K9 unit led to the discover of 50 pounds of fentanyl pills, and the subsequent arrest of Jesus Felipe Felix Beltran, 25 of Grant County, Washington for various drug related charges.
On Friday, January 27, at approximately 12:17 pm, a Central Division K9 officer and his canine partner Beny conducted an enforcement stop of a 2013 Ford Explorer for tinted windows. The stop occurred on Interstate 5 northbound, at Hudson Avenue, in Fresno County. During the contact, the officer noted several indicators of criminal activity and deployed Beny on the exterior of the Ford.
During the search, Beny gave a positive alert to the odor of narcotics which led to a probable cause search of the Ford. Located inside a gym bag within the rear of the Ford was approximately 50 pounds of fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone hydrocholoride pills.
The driver who is the registered owner of the Ford was then taken into custody without incident. Investigators with the High Impact Investigations Team (HIIT) were contacted and have taken over the investigation. The driver was subsequently booked into the Fresno County Jail on the charges of possession of fentanyl for sale, transportation of fentanyl and transportation of fentanyl across noncontiguous countries.
Editors note:
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
California Seized Enough Fentanyl to Potentially Kill the Entire Population of North America, Twice
KEY NUMBERS:
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MORE THAN $1 BILLION INVESTED since the beginning of the Newsom Administration to address the opioid crisis, with CalHHS investing $450 Million in the current fiscal year.
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28,765 POUNDS SEIZED by law enforcement with support from the California National Guard in support of law enforcement during 2022, an estimated street value of more than $230 Million and saving potentially hundreds of millions of lives according to the DEA.
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594% INCREASE IN FENTANYL SEIZED by law enforcement with help from the California National Guard compared to 2021.
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166 NEW GUARD MEMBERS hired, trained, and embedded by California’s National Guard to support the Governor’s initiative to reduce deadly fentanyl in communities.
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