91,000 Fentanyl Tucked Inside Chip Containers Discovered In Washington

Two Washington men are facing charges for allegedly smuggling thousands of drugs hidden in potato chip containers, according to local authorities on July 22.

The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office says they busted Juan E. Hernandez-Hernandez and Alejandro Macias-Velazquez for drug trafficking, including the sale and distribution of fentanyl. Officials claim it was part of an ongoing investigation into the suspects' alleged ties to a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) importing narcotics into the county.

Deputies and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents caught wind of Hernandez-Hernandez arranging a delivery at a parking lot in Bellingham, the sheriff's office says. Officials reportedly spotted Macias-Velazquez pulling up to the location with a duffel bag containing 91,000 fentanyl pills concealed in snack containers. Cops arrested the duo this month.

“The dangers of fentanyl cannot be understated, more so in an area where there have been recent overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl-laced pills,” Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest, said in the statement. “I am grateful for the continued support of the Whatcom County Sherriff’s Office and CBP’s Air and Marine Operations along with our other law enforcement partnerships that are critical in keeping drugs out of our communities in the Pacific Northwest.”

HSI is investigating the case with help from the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO).