Carfentanil is harmful even in small doses, and federal officials discovered a big amount of it in an odd location.
DEA investigators in New York City recently seized two kilograms of carfentanil, which they obtained through the mail.
It is part of an ongoing investigation.
Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid. It’s 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
It is intended to be used as a tranquilizer for enormous elephants, but drug dealers add it to substances since it is addictive. It can also be fatal and result in overdoses.
“That can kill hundreds of thousands of people, so when we take that off city streets, we’re removing from the illicit supply chain a lethal poison and it’s saving lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino.
Tuesday also marks National Fentanyl Awareness Day.
The DEA describes it as the most serious drug threat in the United States, as drug-related overdoses remain the primary cause of death among young people.
