Florida authorities have found a drug 50 times stronger than fentanyl circulating in the state, Newsweek reported.

Palm Beach County police found N-desethylisotonitazene (ISO), a synthetic opioid up to 50 times more potent than fentanyl. NewsweekThe discovery was made during a search by the West Palm Beach Police Department's Organized Crime Unit, which led to the seizure of 20 kilograms of ISO, worth about $1.6 million, according to department spokesman Mike Jackles.

“Basically, we've taken a lot of toxins out of the city,” Jackless told Newsweek.. “This is serious, this is frightening. This is a public health issue.”

New opioid discovered 50 times stronger than fentanyl

Mike Jackless said the drug, N-desethylisotonitazene (ISO), had been detected in only one other city in the United States.#NoToFentanyl #NeverSayIthttps://t.co/u0k87Uc2fM

— United Against Fentanyl (@UAFentanyl) July 18, 2024

The powerful substance has only been identified in one other US city so far: Philadelphia, where health authorities first detected it in December 2022, the media reported. The investigation in Palm Beach also led to the arrest of individuals involved in the distribution of the drug, which mimics safer narcotics such as OxyContin and Percocet and can mislead users about its deadly potency. (Related: Federal government spends over $300 million on failed study to prevent opioid deaths)

The U.S. is facing an ongoing opioid overdose crisis that continues to cause deaths, primarily due to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. report Of the 107,543 drug overdose deaths in 2023, about 70% were due to synthetic opioids.

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Warned In 2022, ISO can appear as a yellow, brown, or off-white powder, but is often mixed with other drugs to increase its potency and reduce production costs. This adulteration, a factor exacerbated by the drug's high potency and the inability to properly identify these compounds without laboratory testing, can lead to overdoses in unsuspecting victims.