Drug Traffickers Busted With 150,000 Fentanyl Pills In California, Released Days Later

Officials said that two drug traffickers in California were arrested last week for possessing 150,000 fentanyl pills, but are now back on the streets.

During a traffic stop-turned-drug bust in Tulare on Friday, Benito Madrigal, 19, and Jose Zendejas, 25, both from Washington, were arrested, reported Fox News. Officials said that the two men were booked into the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility on charges of possession, transportation and selling of drugs that are not legal. The two inmates were released just days later, surprising everyone.

Officials said that the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office was given a court order to release the men from "custody on their own recognizance." The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office added that all inmates booked into Tulare County jails are sent through the "Risk Assessment Process through the Tulare County Probation Department." The office further said that that "Risk Assessment" is then sent to a judge with the court, who, then, "determines whether or not the individual arrested is held on bail or if they are to be released."

Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said that he strongly disagrees with the decision to release the traffickers, citing public safety concerns, but said that his office was forced to comply with the court order.

As many as 150 packages with 1,000 fentanyl pills in each were found, and they are enough to potentially take lives of several million people. According to ABC4News, officials said that each pill sells for about $5, so the total was $750,000.

After the two men were released without California Sheriff Mike Boudreaux's knowledge, he said that he is "infuriated," reported Fox News. He highlighted the state’s "failing" justice system and called for accountability. Boudreaux said that he was not informed of the release until it was "far too late." He shared that when there is a release, that necessarily doesn’t reach his desk, but come Monday morning, "I learned of this release, and I was infuriated."

He said that the assessment was "done behind the scenes, basically without ever contacting me as the sheriff or even asking me what I believe the risk to our public safety would be." Then he contacted the district attorney, who also was not aware of the release.