Colorado State Patrol seizes enough fentanyl to kill 25 million people

Colorado State Patrol officers seized 114 pounds of pure fentanyl on a highway on June 6.

A Colorado State Patrol official told Fox News the agency had stopped a car heading towards Denver on Interstate 70 near Georgetown when they made the discovery.

The 114 pounds of pure fentanyl powder was found under the passenger and driver seats, accessible through a hatch, and was contained within 48 one-kilo bricks.

The Colorado Gazette first reported on the find.

The spokesperson told Fox News that the agency believes this is the largest seizure of pure fentanyl powder on a US highway.

Colorado State Patrol Contraband, Trafficking and Interdiction Unit Captain Bill Barkley said the agency is not releasing the identity of the driver due to potential retaliation from Mexican cartels , and did not explain why the car was stopped.

« They don’t care about anything but making money, » Barkley said.

Barkley said his drug investigation was conducted in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

He said the drugs continue to flow into the United States and Colorado, saying the cartels are « designing » the trap compartments.

“It’s a continuous game of cat and mouse between law enforcement and the cartels. They actually hire people to design trap compartments,” Barkley said. « Whether or not it’s on I-70 or I-25, or the side highways coming into our state, I’d bet there’s something going on every hour of every day. »

DEA figures indicate that one kilogram of fentanyl can kill up to 500,000 people. The June 6 bust had the potential to kill more than 25 million people, according to these figures.

From January to May, more than 2 million doses of fentanyl units were seized by authorities in Colorado, exceeding last year’s amount.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.