Colorado Man Arrested In Fentanyl Bust With 7 Million Lethal Doses
By Jeff Todd
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- It's being called the largest Fentanyl bust in the history of New York City, and the man arrested for it is from Colorado.
Detectives say they were looking for drug activity on June 19 when they saw a black rolled package fall out of Carlos Ramirez's car. Ramirez, from Lakewood, told investigators he was staying at a nearby hotel.
Outside of his room, on top of a vending machine, police say they found a duffel bag filled with more black rolled packages. In total 18 kilograms, about 40 pounds, of fentanyl.
The drug is significantly more powerful that morphine and the amount seized contains what officials say is seven million lethal doses.
Ramirez told investigators he drove from California to New York and expected to make $30,000 after all the fentanyl was sold.
Drug experts in law enforcement say fentanyl is combined with heroin and is a major part of the growing opioid epidemic.
Ramirez is charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third degrees, his bond is $200,000.
Online court records indicate Ramirez's only crime in Colorado was a traffic ticket in Denver in February.
Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.