SUTHERLIN, Ore. -- Douglas County deputies said they seized a 2.2-pound block of suspected carfentanil, a drug known to be even more powerful than fentanyl, during a traffic stop on May 30.
According to the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team, deputies stopped Alma Adriana Fuentes, 41, of Live Oak, California, on Interstate 5 near Sutherlin on May 30. Deputies said a drug-detecting dog from Oregon State Police sniffed out some controlled substances in Fuentes’ vehicle and alerted law enforcement officers. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a 2.2-pound block of suspected carfentanil.
Fuentes was arrested by detectives on the scene, the DINT reported.
Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid similar to fentanyl, and is typically used as a tranquilizer for elephants and other large animals. According to the DINT, carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. The DINT said this was the second large seizure of the drug, and highlights a concerning trend.
The DINT said that in 2023, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues such as carfentanil have become their most commonly seized hard drug. The DINT said this is the first time since their formation in 1989 that methamphetamine has been surpassed in total seizures.
