Minnesota State Patrol seizes 50K fentanyl pills during routine traffic stop near Albert Lea

Authorities seized tens of thousands of fentanyl pills during a routine traffic stop in southern Minnesota last week, according to the State Patrol.

The Minnesota State Patrol says a trooper had stopped a vehicle for speeding on Interstate 90 near Albert Lea when they "noticed signs of possible drug activity."

A State Patrol K-9 and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted the trooper in recovering nine packages containing approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills.

"That single stop prevented tens of thousands of dangerous pills from reaching Minnesota communities. Large-scale seizures like this disrupt the supply of fentanyl — a drug linked to hundreds of overdose deaths in Minnesota each year — and help keep our communities safer," the Minnesota State Patrol said.

In 2024, Minnesota saw 678 opioid-involved drug overdose deaths, according to the latest data from the Department of Health.