Authorities said Saturday that an undercover narcotics operation in downtown Nashville nabbed three individuals trafficking cocaine laced with fentanyl.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Khalil D. Smith, 26, Nepean Thompson, 22, and Michael Terry, 26, were arrested on felony narcotics charges Friday night after selling three grams of a white powdery substance to an undercover detective for $200.

According to FOX17 Nashville, officers confiscated two 11-gram packets of white powder from Smith, which tested positive for fentanyl and cocaine. 23 Xanax bars, 21 grams of marijuana, and an undetermined quantity of cash were also discovered by detectives. Thompson was being jailed on $377,500 bail on six felony aggravated assault charges stemming from an April 24 shooting, according to police. The bond for Terry was set at $15,000.

According to the Metro Public Health Department of Nashville/Davidson County, fentanyl was responsible for roughly 80% of suspected drug overdose deaths in the first quarter of this year in the Nashville and Davidson County region.

The FDA issued a public health warning on Friday, alerting citizens to the availability of fentanyl in powder and tablet form in the downtown Nashville region, as well as an increase in opioid overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times stronger than morphine and up to 50 times stronger than heroin (CDC). It has the potential to inflict death or significant physical injury.

According to the CDC, fentanyl is a major contributor to the opioid crisis in the United States, accounting for roughly 73 percent of all opioid-related fatalities in 2019.