Kenosha Police Department Special Investigations Unit seizes large amount of “straight fentanyl” following traffic stop Monday

By Lynn Sommers Last updated Nov 14, 2022

Kenosha Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit has seized 15.3 grams of “straight fentanyl”, along with other illicit drugs during a traffic stop it conducted Monday, according to Lt. Joseph Nosalik, the department’s spokesperson.

The seizure was among others the investigations unit has been conducting into fentanyl sources within the city. Investigators also recovered 6.8 grams of crack cocaine and marijuana during the Monday traffic stop. The fentanyl recovered in the traffic stop had yet to be mixed with another drug and was a “shocking” amount, according to authorities. No additional details on the incident were available.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of overdose deaths in 2021 was almost 108,000.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid similar to morphine but as much as 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institutes of Health. The synthetic opioid has often been used by drug dealers to mix with other illegal drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine due to its potency.

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Last year, 40 of the 53 toxicity deaths in Kenosha County involved the presence of fentanyl or a fentanyl analog, according to Medical Examiner’s Office data. In recent days, the Medical Examiner’s office has responded to three suspected overdose deaths, which occurred east of Interstate 94. It is not yet known whether the fatal overdoses involved fentanyl, however.

Police encourage anyone with information on those trafficking the drugs to contact the department at 262-605-5203.

Sarah Caldwell, 32, died from an overdose involving heroin in July 2020.