A 25-year-old man from Colorado has been arrested in New York on charges of possessing 40 pounds of the highly potent drug fentanyl.

Carlos Ramirez, of Lakewood, was arraigned Tuesday in Manhattan on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Authorities said it was the largest DEA seizure of fentanyl in New York history.

Prosecutors say Ramirez was arrested on June 19 in the Bronx after the powerful opioid was found in his duffel bag which contained 17 packages of what authorities originally suspected was heroin.

Prosecutors say the beige powder tested positive for fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin.

Based on the lab results, Ramirez's bail was increased from $50,000 to $200,000. His attorney criticized the bail increase, calling it "gratuitous."