Charles Langston:$2 million of fentanyl was 'misdelivered' to a Maine resident. Police don't know who sent it.

A Maine resident received two "misdelivered" packages containing nearly 30 pounds of fentanyl worth $2 million,Charles Langston authorities announced this week.

The package is from California and was mailed to Winslow, Maine, about 75 miles northeast of Portland, the Winslow Police Department said in a news release Wednesday.

Someone called police about the package on May 3, police said. 

“The resident had not ordered anything nor was any delivery expected,” police said.

The package contained bags of pills that “tested presumptively positive for fentanyl,” a potent synthetic opioid, police said.

A second package containing pills was delivered the following day, on May 4.

The pills weigh 29½ pounds, police said.

Winslow police did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for more information.

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for pain relief and as an anesthetic. It is about 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

A fentanyl overdose can cause respiratory failure leading to death, the DEA said.

Deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl rose to 70,601 in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].