Local authorities have announced a significant narcotics seizure that highlights the growing concern over drug trafficking and opioid abuse in our community. The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office posted a release on their social media account reporting that last year, the Criminal Interdiction Team of Central Oklahoma (CITCO) seized more than 1685 pounds of illegal narcotics. The haul included 77 pounds of cocaine, 60 pounds of methamphetamine, and a particularly alarming 222 pounds of fentanyl. This powerful synthetic opioid is known to be 50-100 times stronger than heroin, oxycodone, and morphine.

"We've tallied the numbers, and last year deputies and officers with the Criminal Interdiction Team of Central Oklahoma, or CITCO, seized more than 1685 pounds of illegal narcotics," stated the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office. They highlighted the dangerous potential of the seized fentanyl by noting, that "That's enough to kill every man, woman and child in Oklahoma 10-times over!" Fentanyl's potency cannot be overstated, as just two to three milligrams of the substance can be lethal.

The sheer volume of fentanyl recovered in this operation speaks to the severity of the opioid crisis. Fentanyl-related overdoses have been a major contributor to the escalation of the opioid epidemic throughout the nation. The presence of fentanyl on the streets also poses significant risks to first responders and law enforcement personnel who may come into contact with the drug during their duties.