A border patrol K9 sniffed out enough fentanyl to kill 2.7 million people this week.
The very good boy led US border control officers to three packages of fentanyl at an Arizona checkpoint where the drugs were seized on 18 April.
John R Modlin, a US border patrol agent, tweeted about the incident, noting ‘just two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal’, which makes the 12 pounds recovered on Monday deadly enough to wipe out almost three million people.
Modlin added that the scene was attended by The Drug Enforcement Administration of Phoenix and a Mexican citizen is facing criminal charges.
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He also shared a photo of himself and his trusty canine companion on social media.
Modlin’s full tweet read: “Three packages of fentanyl weighing 12 pounds were seized by Nogales Station agents at the I-19 Checkpoint. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal!
“@DEAPHOENIXDiv responded to the checkpoint. The Mexican citizen driver faces criminal charges."
Last month, two men arrested in Orange County were allegedly in possession of enough fentanyl to kill nearly five million people.
36-year-old Edgar Alfonso Lamas and 53-year-old Carlos Raygozaparedes had more than 20lb (9kg) of fentanyl, nearly 200lb (91kg) of cocaine and more than 800lb (363kg) of methamphetamine stowed in a minivan, according to the district attorney.
Lamas and Raygozaparedes were charged with six drug-related counts and both pleaded not guilty.
If found guilty, they could face a maximum sentence of 37 years and four months behind bars, as per the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Lamas and Raygozaparedes are being held on a $5 million bail and their preliminary hearing is set for 7 June.
In a statement, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said: "Millions of unsuspecting people have the grim reaper looking over their shoulder and they have no idea how close they actually are to dying from taking a single pill.
"Fentanyl is cheap, it’s easy to get and it is killing our children, our coworkers, and tens of thousands of innocent Americans who don’t have to die.
"Drug dealers don’t care about you or your loved ones – they only care about their bottom line and making as much money as possible.
"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. We have to continue to do everything we can to combat this deadly drug epidemic and save lives."
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Aisha Nozari