The Texas Department of Public Safety seized over 3.1 million lethal doses of fentanyl in a South Texas city Monday, according to officials.
Mario Reyna, 39, was stopped by troopers for a traffic violation at the intersection of 43rd Street and Gumwood Avenue in Mission, in the Rio Grande Valley, according to a press release from the Office of Governor Greg Abbott.
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Officials said five tape-wrapped bundles with a white substance were found inside his car. They were later tested and confirmed as fentanyl.
The approximately 14 pounds of drugs had an estimated street value of around $312,000, according to officials.
Reyna was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and taken to the Hidalgo County Jail.
The seizure is one of the largest single fentanyl seizures by Operation Lone Star to date, the news release stated.
Abbott released the following statement on the seizure and the rise in fentanyl-related crimes in Texas:
“Fentanyl is the single greatest drug threat our state and country has ever known, and this record amount of fentanyl seized would have otherwise made its way into communities across Texas and the nation because of President Joe Biden’s open border policies,” said Governor Abbott. “Through Texas’ historic Operation Lone Star mission, a DPS trooper prevented 3.1 million lethal doses of fentanyl—enough to kill every Texan in Austin, Dallas, and El Paso combined—from taking more innocent lives during a single traffic stop. I thank our brave DPS troopers, and all Operation Lone Star mission personnel, for their work to secure our border and keep Texans safe.”