In less than a week, the California Highway Patrol seized nearly $1.7 million worth of fentanyl during two separate traffic stops on Interstate 5, including drugs hidden in packages of raw beef, Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said with.

Three foreign suspects were arrested in connection with the operations, which also led to the discovery of two illegally possessed firearms, the office said in a press release on Tuesday.

During the first stop, which took place in Fresno County on Oct. 3, a canine unit alerted officers to narcotics hidden in a cooler, the state said. During the inspection, authorities found 11 pounds of fentanyl in packages of beef carne asada.

According to Newsom's office, the fentanyl was worth about $500,000. The suspect, a Washington state resident, was arrested for drug possession and transportation.

California officials said that the following day, on Oct. 4, officers discovered two handguns and about 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills worth an estimated $1.2 million in Merced County. Two additional Washington state residents were arrested on multiple felony charges.

CHP

“California continues its hard work to remove deadly and illegal drugs from our streets,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement. “I am proud of our CHP officers’ efforts to help keep our community safe and hold drug traffickers accountable.”

Newsom said the arrests were part of California's campaign to combat the fentanyl and opioid crises.

The governor's office said his office has outlined initiatives that include doubling the number of military personnel who can intercept drug shipments at checkpoints. They have also launched a website to educate about the dangers of opioids and plan to “hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable.”

Since January, the California National Guard Drug Enforcement Task Force has seized over 500,00 pounds of fentanyl powder and 9.6 million fentanyl pills valued at over $43 million, the state reported.