STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Sterling Heights police released video of officers chasing down a car and an illegal immigrant who transported 20,000 fentanyl pills into the city from a Mexican drug cartel, officials said.
You can watch dash cam video of the car chase and body cam video of the foot chase below.
What happened
Officers said they saw a BMW with tinted windows heading north on Van Dyke Avenue near 14 Mile Road around 5:50 p.m. April 8.
When police tried to stop the BMW, it fled into a nearby subdivision, they said. The driver turned onto a dead-end road and got out to flee on foot, according to authorities.
He was arrested after a short foot chase, police said.
Officials said they searched the car and discovered hidden compartments that contained 20,000 fentanyl pills.
The drugs were disguised as OxyContin prescription pills, according to police.
Officers also found 500 grams of powder fentanyl, they said.
The total street value for the narcotics was over $350,000, authorities said. They said the fentanyl could have led to the overdose and deaths of thousands of Michiganders.
Arrests
Police said the traffic stop led to the arrest of a man and a woman who admitted to being in the United States illegally from Mexico.
They also admitted that they were transporting the narcotics for a drug cartel, according to authorities.
Both are now awaiting felony charges and deportation, Sterling Heights police said.