LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) – A partnership between Louisville Metro Police Department and the United States Drug Enforcement Agency led to the execution of another large drug bust on Monday.
According to a statement from LMPD, the two agencies confiscated 8.5 kilos of suspected fentanyl and approximately 20,000-30,000 suspected pressed fentanyl pills from a storage unit.
The DEA said that just one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.
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With 8.5 kilograms of the synthetic opioid, nearly 4,250,000 people could overdose, or the entire population of Lexington nearly 13 times.
“While the investigation does remain ongoing, this serves as a reminder that the diligent work of officers saves lives every day,” the statement reads.
Synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, are the primary driver of overdose deaths in the United States, according to the CDC. From 2020 to 2021, overdose deaths, involving substances similar to fentanyl, rose 55.6% and are the main driver of the increase in deaths.
