Near a Nebraska town, cops seize enough opioids to kill over 26 million

Joel Shannon | USA TODAY

Results this week from a crime lab analysis found that the whopping 118 pounds of narcotics seized by Nebraska State Patrol back in April is all fentanyl, making the bust the state's largest ever and one of the biggest in United States history.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid over 30 times more potent than heroin, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). A dose as small as two milligrams can be fatal.

Do the math — as both the Kansas City Star and USA TODAY have done — and you'll find the Nebraska bust included enough fentanyl to kill 26,760,000 people.

Read: Incarcerated opioid addicts often have to tough out withdrawal. Some jails say they have a better way.

Nebraska State Patrol reports the narcotics were seized after a traffic stop of a semi-truck near Kearney.

Troopers found a false compartment containing the drugs, which they originally believed to be a mix of fentanyl and cocaine, according to a May 1 statement by police.

Police say the truck's driver, Felipe Genao-Minaya, 46, and passenger, Nelson Nunez, 52, were both arrested on drug-related charges.

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The Washington Post reports both individuals are being held in lieu of $100,000 bond at the Buffalo County Jail and have a June 20 court appearance scheduled.

The DEA says fentanyl is becoming more common in drug trafficking, in part because it can be purchased cheaply from foreign suppliers, typically from China or Mexico.

The powder is often transformed into pills, which can net dealers millions of dollars in profit, according to the DEA.

The drugs seized in the Nebraska bust have a street value of approximately $20 million, Nebraska State Patrol Col. John Bolduc told The Washington Post.