Authorities are again warning parents about the possibility of mixing drugs with candy this Halloween after a major raid at Los Angeles International Airport with bags of candy containing some 12,000 fentanyl pills.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and federal Drug Enforcement Agency agents assigned to a task force at the airport,
The suspect attempted to pass through the TSA checkpoint with several bags of candy and various snacks with the intention of boarding a plane. Nevertheless, it was discovered that inside the boxes of “Sweetarts”, “Skittles” and “Whoppers” candy there were fentanyl pills and no candy.
The raid prompted new calls for parents to be cautious this Halloween with the candy their children bring home. There have been multiple reports this year of fentanyl manufactured in rainbow colors or disguised in candy wrappers.
“With Halloween approaching, parents should be sure to check their children’s candy and not allow them to eat anything until it has been inspected by them,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
“If you find something in candy boxes that you think might be narcotics, don’t touch it and immediately notify the local agency law enforcement,” they insist.
Meanwhile, the main suspect escaped before the police arrived. Authorities have identified the person, but his name has not been released.
for months, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has warned of an alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl available in the United States. Since August 2022, after the seizure of this drug but in the form of brightly colored pills in 26 states.
Dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” in the media, this trend appears to be a new method used by drug cartels to sell highly addictive and potentially deadly fentanyl made to look like candy to children and young people.
“Rainbow fentanyl is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to create addiction among children and young adults”, said DEA administrator Anne Milgram at the time.