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Yan Carlos Pichardo Cepeda, 27, was arrested by state agents and Allegheny County authorities and arraigned on Friday, Sept. 1, Attorney General Michelle Henry's Office said.
Pichardo Cepeda was spotted avoiding police officers and canine units when he arrived in Pittsburgh from New York, prosecutors said. He consented to a search of his backpack, where police said they found a kilogram of fentanyl.
Eight more kilograms of fentanyl — or 450,000 doses — were discovered "among other drugs" in his luggage, the AG's Office claimed.
Authorities valued the stash at about $1.6 million.
“Thanks to strong collaboration between law enforcement agencies, an alarming amount of potentially deadly fentanyl was taken off of Pennsylvania streets,” Henry wrote.
“These poisons destroy lives and devastate communities. I’m grateful for partnerships with law enforcement agencies that increase our abilities to halt trafficking operations and hold predatory dealers accountable for the role they play in fueling the opioid epidemic.”
According to Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., Pichardo Cepeda's is the third "major" drug arrest in downtown Pittsburgh in "the past several months."
The Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Narcotics Enforcement Team, Port Authority police, Monroeville police, and West Mifflin police assisted in the investigation, prosecutors added.
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, resources for recovery are available through the state Department of Human Services.
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