Crime & Safety

100,000 Lethal Doses Of Fentanyl Seized By Nashville Police

Originally thought to be a brick of heroin, drugs seized by Metro Police in May turned out to be fentanyl.

NASHVILLE, TN — When Metro Police made a massive drug seizure in May, officers originally believed they were dealing "only" with heroin, but lab tests proved that, in fact, what they'd found is instead approximately 100,000 lethal doses of the opioid fentanyl.

In late May, more than five pounds of what was thought to be heroin in brick form was intercepted by Specialized Investigations Division narcotics detectives and the DEA after it arrived from San Diego. Subsequent laboratory analysis of the brown solid material found it to be fentanyl, less than 25 percent pure, but still enough for 100,000 fatal doses, according to Nashville police.

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Brianda Zuniga-Ramirez, 22, and Evelyn Vasquez, 24, both of San Diego, were being paid to drive the narcotic from Southern California to Nashville, according to police. The pair then met with Julio Garcia, 43, of San Diego, and Jeff Nelson, 46, of Madison.

Metro Police arrested all four during the rendezvous. They all remain jailed on drug distribution conspiracy charges.

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Image via Metro Police

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