12,000 fentanyl pills found inside sealed candy boxes at LAX 

Los Angeles International Airport officials seized around 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills inside sealed candy boxes on Wednesday morning. 

The pills were meant to look like candy and were hidden in sealed boxes inside SweeTarts, Skittles, and Whoppers candy boxes.

The suspect tried to pass the candy boxes through TSA screening at the airport at around 7:30 a.m. However, the “candy” did not get past security. 

“Officers noticed an item in a traveler’s carry-on bag that, on the X-ray screen, looked like a potential security threat,” Jason Pantages, the TSA federal security director at LAX, said in a statement.

When TSA officials realized it was not actual candy inside the boxes, the suspect fled the scene. However, officials know the individual’s identity and are pursuing the suspect. 

With Halloween approaching, the Los Angeles police are warning parents to be careful about fentanyl pills after the deadly drug has been found disguised in candy wrappers and is being manufactured in rainbow colors. 

“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,” LA police 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.”

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more powerful than heroin. The drug has caused more than 71,000 or 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.