Police Found $10M Of Fentanyl Crammed Inside Fish, Chili

A man attempted to smuggle one million doses of fentanyl inside of fish and chili, police said.

Johnny De Los Santos-Martinez, 35, was reportedly arrested Feb. 1 on two felony charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to the New York Post. Nearly nine pounds of fentanyl, a narcotic used to treat severe pain, in the back of his 2017 white Acura MDX.

Detectives with the New York Police Department (NYPD) had been watching Santos-Martinez in connection with drug smuggling-related investigation, WNBC reported. However, police spotted his vehicle Feb. 1 on at the intersection of Leland Avenue and Archer Street in Parkchester — a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York.

Police obtained a search warrant to examine the contents of his car. In doing so, they stumbled upon an estimated $10 million worth of fentanyl.

"Inside both boxes were Styrofoam coolers," a police spokeswoman said to Patch - New York City. "The larger of the two coolers contained fish wrapped around two brick-shaped packages covered in green plastic, with a third brick-shaped package concealed in a vacuum-sealed package of what appeared to be chili."

"The second cooler contained one brick-shaped package similarly wrapped with green plastic and fish," the spokesperson added.

Santos-Martinez's bail was set at $150,000 cash. He is expected to return to court on Feb. 28.

Fentanyl is considered to be a deadly drug as it has been attributed to thousands of deaths in urban cities. The drug is fairly simple to obtain, with many individuals using the internet as a method of purchasing the drug.