12,000 Fentanyl Pills Disguised as Candy Seized at LAX

As Halloween approaches, parents are being warned that fentanyl pills could be mixed with candy.

ABC7 reports a traveler tried to get around 12,000 fentanyl pills through airport security on Wednesday morning. The drugs were housed in Skittles, Whoppers, and SweeTarts packages. Initially the suspect got away, but was later identified. 

“The suspect fled prior to being detained by law enforcement but has been identified and the investigation is on-going,” the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in a statement, per CNN. The DEA and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department both made the bust as part of a task force at the airport.

Authorities are warning parents about fentanyl that’s also being made in rainbow colors and placed in candy wrappers. The colorful pills are a “deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. The “rainbow fentanyl” was discovered in August and has been found across the U.S.

“With Halloween approaching, parents need to make sure they are checking their kids candy and not allowing them to eat anything until it has been inspected by them,” the Sheriff’s Department said. “If you find anything in candy boxes that you believe might be narcotics, do not touch it and immediately notify your local law enforcement agency.”