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Florida man arrested for trafficking enough fentanyl to 'kill 51,000 people': sheriff

Man arrested for trafficking fentanyl
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said a traffic stop near I-75 Tuesday morning led to the discovery of what he said was enough fentanyl to kill tens of thousands of people.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said they did a traffic stop on a vehicle early Tuesday morning near I-75 North and East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The deputy allegedly talked to the passenger in the vehicle, identified as Ryan Edward Starr, 38, and he said that he had a history of methamphetamine usage and had a torch between his legs.

Deputies then used a K-9 to search the vehicle, and it showed the presence of narcotics inside the car, according to HCSO.

As deputies continued to search, they found three different drugs in the vehicle that were tested and confirmed to be fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana. The car also had a pistol and digital scale.

Starr faces multiple drug charges, including armed trafficking in fentanyl and amphetamine.

First responders started before the sun came up to conduct water rescues following Hurricane Milton's landfall.

First responders begin water rescues in Clearwater