On Thursday, June 15th, 2023, at 10:38 pm, Turlock Police, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s, and Central Valley Gang Impact Taskforce investigators arrived at a residence in the 1000 block of West Ave S, Turlock, to serve a search warrant in a narcotics investigation.

Announcements were given and two men emerged from the residence, including Frank Romero, 44, of Turlock. Both were detained without incident.

Simultaneously, a traffic stop was made near the intersection of W Linwood Ave and S Walnut Rd on a vehicle that had just left the residence.

Investigators began serving the warrant and located nearly 25 pounds of powdered fentanyl, evidence of narcotics sales, and a handgun.

According to the California Drug Enforcement Agency, fentanyl is a schedule two controlled substance that is similar to morphine but a hundred times more portent. It’s estimated that two pounds of fentanyl can kill about 500,000 people, meaning the nearly 25 pounds that were located had the potential to kill about 5 million people.

“This amount of fentanyl is capable of producing over 7 million fentanyl pills for distribution in communities,” said Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden. “This poison has no place on our streets and we will continue to dismantle these operations until the message is clear that this is not welcomed or tolerated in Turlock,” he continued.

Romero was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of transporting or selling a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for sale.

The other man who was with Romero as well as the subject that was stopped were both released.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist in it is encouraged to call the Turlock Police Department’s drug hotline at 209-668-5550 extension 6117.