Pueblo police say fentanyl remains big problem following discovery of drug hidden inside stuffed animal

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - Pueblo police say fentanyl continues to be a scourge on their community.

“We are seeing it frequently on the market, the black market. It is very cheap. It is very accessible,” Pueblo police department spokesperson Frank Ortega told 11 News anchor Grace Kraemer.

Law enforcement made an alarming discovery at a rest stop south of Pueblo early Monday morning: a jar full of fentanyl pills stashed inside a stuffed animal. According to Pueblo County deputies, who first made the discovery, the toy and the drugs were found after witnesses reported seeing someone throw away a backpack inside a trash can after a reported rollover crash.

“It’s just like, who is the type of person and why do they have it and why did they decide to use a bunny?” said Christina Jordan, a resident in the area.

Ortega said that while they may not usually involve a stuffed animal, similar discoveries are made in Pueblo every day.

“We are doing large seizures of fentanyl daily,” he told Kraemer.

Fentanyl was originally intended for pain management treatment of cancer patients. It is still used by doctors to control severe pain -- but has also found a home among street drugs. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, it’s 80-100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.

“The danger with fentanyl is that it’s a lot stronger than regular heroin, or other opiates like that,” Ortega said.

Law enforcement hasn’t said exactly how much fentanyl was found at the rest stop Monday morning, but Ortega said anytime more than a couple of pills are recovered, it’s notable.

“Anytime we come across more than 10 pills that is pretty significant for us. Typically you’re just using about one or two pills at a time.”

Ortega says fentanyl is a growing concern not only in Pueblo, but across the state. Law enforcement and lawmakers have been struggling to combat the crisis over the past couple of years, proposing legislation and even offering rewards to get the drug off the streets.

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