Near U.S., Mexican military capture 1.5 tons of meth

Mexican troops confiscated over 1.5 tons of meth and 328 pounds of alleged powdered fentanyl at a checkpoint in the northern state of Sonora after receiving a tip, the army said Thursday. Sonora is bordered by Arizona.

On Wednesday, soldiers discovered 816,486 tablets that seemed to contain fentanyl packed in 46 barrels onboard the vehicle.

According to the Defense Department, a truck transporting powdered fruit juice concentrates to the border city of Tijuana was also transporting narcotics.

Mexican cartels regularly disclose information about shipments from rival groups to authorities.

Mexican gangs produce fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, from Chinese precursors, then press the chemical into counterfeit pills that resemble Xanax, Adderall, or Oxycodone.

Synthetic opioids like as fentanyl are to blame for a significant rise in overdose fatalities in the United States. Fentanyl doses as little as two milligrams may be deadly. The medication has a 100-fold higher potency than morphine.

People who take the fake tablets are often unaware that they are ingesting fentanyl. This has led to an increase in overdose fatalities.