Man carrying thousands of fentanyl pills gets three years in Arizona jail

PHOENIX — A man who was arrested with thousands of fentanyl-laced pills in his possession was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday, officials said.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said Manuel Pulido-Cebreros was had about 2,000 opioid pills laced with fentanyl — a powerful and addictive narcotic — when he was taken into custody last November.

“Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin,” a release said.

Pulido-Cebreros pleaded guilty to possessing the pills and said he planned to sell them.

Fentanyl has become a rising concern for authorities in the ongoing fight against opioid abuse. A very small amount of the substance — which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, in addition to being taken orally — can be enough to sicken or kill an adult.

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