CENTENNIAL — State and federal authorities confiscated 200,000 fentanyl pills, 9.4 pounds of heroin, a kilogram of cocaine and multiple firearms in an operation they say culminated in one of the largest seizures of fentanyl pills in Colorado history.

The Drug Enforcement Agency and the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced the bust Wednesday in Centennial, saying eight people have been indicted on allegations they were smugglers and distributors in a drug trafficking organization that focused on methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid.

The case involves a wiretap investigation that began in December and also netted $60,000 in stolen merchandise. The four weapons seized included an AR-15-style rifle and a 9 mm handgun, authorities said.

At the news conference, officials also highlighted the Colorado State Patrol’s recovery last month of 114 pounds of pure fentanyl on Interstate 70 near Georgetown from a vehicle headed toward Denver.

“In my opinion, bulk fentanyl quantities like this hold the caliber of weapons of mass destruction-type concern when we take into consideration the worst possible outcomes of this poison being pushed out in mass to our communities,” said Brian Besser, the special agent in charge of the DEA’s Denver Field Division. “The availability and accessibility of fake pills (laced with fentanyl) right now is absolutely staggering. They are available everywhere and can be obtained with little effort.”

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