A 220 kilogram shipment of fentanyl from Spain was seized at Mexico City airport, one of the largest catches of the drug used as a drug, stronger than heroin and morphine, the Mexican government announced on Wednesday. .
“The goods were wrapped in cans which, inside, contained plastic bags with beige powder,” describes the official statement.
This is one of the largest seizures of the drug, considered 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine.
Fentanyl is used to treat the pain of cancer patients, but its illicit use has spread in the United States, causing the deaths of 31,000 people in 2018 from overdoses of this drug or similar products, according to health authorities American.
Mexico is one of the main supply routes to its North American neighbor. The Mexican cartels import from China the components necessary for its production.
In July, Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador gave the military control over ports and customs in order to combat corruption and drug trafficking.