An alarming drug bust in Massachusetts revealed what must be every parent’s worst nightmare. Authorities discovered a large cache of pink fentanyl pills shaped as hearts — clearly designed to mimic Valentine’s Day candy and appeal to young people.
Law enforcement descended on a two-family residence and recovered an estimated 10 million doses of illicit drugs. As many as 8 million were described as “doses of fentanyl- and methamphetamine-laced pills and powder.”
The haul had a reported street value of more than $8 million. The Department of Justice (DOJ) called it one of the largest seizures in one location in New England.
In a press release, Attorney General Merrick Garland blasted drug dealers for disguising deadly fentanyl in such a manner. “The only thing more depraved than trafficking deadly fentanyl is trafficking deadly fentanyl designed to look like candy to appeal to teenagers.”
He added that international drug suppliers will be “brought to justice.”
An important #fentanyl
Drug bust in Massachusetts.Notice the heart shape of the pink candy-like fentanyl pills.
"The only thing more depraved than trafficking deadly fentanyl is trafficking deadly fentanyl designed to look like candy to appeal to teenagers," the US Attorney… pic.twitter.com/HEh9DC0Oq1
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) November 8, 2023
Three men were arrested in the stunning operation. Emilio Garcia, 25, Sebastien Bejin, 33, and Deiby Felix, 40, all from Lynn, await their first court appearance on numerous charges.
The Massachusetts raid resulted from an investigation into an overdose death in Salem during the summer. Law enforcement surveilled the trio of suspects for three months before closing in with search warrants.
More than 200 pounds of drugs were seized, and 20 pounds of that haul was the candy strongly resembling Valentine’s Day treats. Multiple families and small children were reportedly living at the residence where the massive bust was made.
The sheer volume of the drugs seized is staggering.
The DOJ reported finding 22 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine base along with 37 pounds of raw methamphetamine. This equaled 3.5 million doses.
Investigators discovered 61 pounds of Percocet pills suspected of containing fentanyl and 59 pounds of Adderall believed to be combined with methamphetamine.
Another 900,000 doses of a brown rock and powder substance were seized. It was tested and found to contain fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
FBI Director Christopher Wray praised law enforcement while blasting the insidious nature of some of the narcotics. He called purposefully creating deadly drugs to look like candy “an enormous risk to children.”
