More than 600,000 pills containing a powerful synthetic opioid used to tranquilize large animals were seized during a Drug Enforcement Administration operation in Los Angeles County in October.

The operation was conducted by the DEA's Los Angeles Field Office in coordination with the LA County Sheriff's Department and the Vernon and Baldwin police departments, a news release from the DEA said.

Agents discovered 628,000 pills containing carfentanil during the operation. The powerful synthetic opioid, which is said to be 100 times more potent than fentanyl, was originally developed for veterinary use to tranquilize large animals like elephants, the release said. They said that the majority of the pills were seized from one stash location.

"This is a massive seizure, 628,000 carfentanil pi

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