 | The largest fentanyl seizure in Missouri history happened during a traffic stop. A Missouri Highway Patrol officer stopped Angel Larar-Esteban, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona. Police found 4.8 pounds of pure fentanyl, with a street value of more than $3 million. This is the largest amount of fentanyl seized in the history of the state of Missouri. |  In Madison County, fentanyl-related deaths tripled from 2015 to 2016. |
 | Mexican authorities have seized 31 pounds (14 kilograms) of fentanyl along with other drugs hidden in a car near the U.S. border. The National Security Commission says the vehicle was searched on a highway between the Gulf of California and San Luis Rio Colorado, which is home to a border crossing with southwest Arizona. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered about 18 pounds (8kg) of fentanyl hidden inside an SUV’s muffler at the San Ysidro Port of Entry over the weekend. Customs officers noticed anomalies in the muffler. Inside, officers found eight packages of fentanyl. |
 | The amount of fentanyl seized from three California men last month was enough to kill the entire population of Columbus.
A Franklin County grand jury on Friday indicted Joel Lassiter, Luis Delgado and Rashaad Williams on aggravated drug trafficking and drug possession charges. They were arrested Oct. 25 by a drug task force in a Columbus hotel parking lot where 2 kilograms (4.5 pounds) of fentanyl was found in the trunk of a car. The population of Columbus is about 860,000 people. |
 | China has long been the primary source of fentanyl in the United States. Wei Xiaojun, deputy secretary-general of China's National Narcotics Control Commission, said that he did not see "sufficient evidence", instead pointing to Mexico. The U.S. has been trying to get China to get tougher on the issue. Last October, China agreed to crack down on fentanyl and other synthetics banning 115 chemicals in total. |  |
