Nearly 45 pounds of fentanyl seized near Longmont

Law enforcement seized almost 45 pounds of a fentanyl and cocaine mixture last week from a suspect they believe has cartel ties, disrupting what authorities described as the major distribution of the illicit drug intended for Colorado communities.

The suspect, Alberto Reyes- Carrillo, is being held on $500,000 bond, although the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office had requested a $1 million bond.

A news release from the DEA Rocky Mountain Division claimed the suspect has alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.

“The Sinaloa Cartel is one of two primary cartels responsible for flooding the United States with dangerous and deadly fentanyl,” Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Rocky Mountain Division Brian Besser said in the news release. “This case is another example of how we continue to attack these networks at every level to save lives throughout the Rocky Mountain Division and beyond. This operation was a success thanks to a truly collaborative effort on the part of our local, state and federal partners.”

The DEA Rocky Mountain Division, the Rocky Mountain HIDTA Front Range Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Denver Division, and the Longmont Police Department Special Investigations Unit assisted with the operation, which took place on Friday in Longmont, authorities said.

The synthetic opioid is highly addictive and 50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl comes in both powder and pill forms and is sometimes mixed with other substances. People are not always aware they are ingesting a substance mixed with fentanyl.

Fentanyl deaths rose by 70% in Colorado last year, HIS Denver Special Agent in Charge Ryan Spradlin said in a release. Transnational criminal organizations are responsible for more than 100,000 deaths nationwide, he added.

“I commend the special agents and intelligence professionals of HSI and our partners who were responsible for intercepting this dangerous shipment. Many lives were saved, and families remain intact because of their commitment to public safety,” Spradlin said.

Longmont Police Chief Jeffrey Satur said fentanyl deaths continue to surge and thanked the multiple agencies for their work, calling 45 pounds “an incredible seizure” that will save lives throughout the city and state.

Boulder Country District Attorney Michael Dougherty vowed to “vigorously prosecute fentanyl dealers.”

“The poison of fentanyl continues to flow into communities across Colorado, at the expense of too many lives. As a result of the outstanding teamwork in this investigation, a major shipment of powder fentanyl was intercepted,” Dougherty said.

RMHIDTA Executive Director Keith Weis said in a release that the bust “disrupted the distribution of a significant amount of dangerous illicit fentanyl intended for Colorado communities.”

Seizures of fentanyl by Colorado task forces are at record levels this year, Weis said, praising multi-jurisdictional operations as a key strategy to reduce fatal overdoses.