Employees of an Auburn, Maine restaurant were surprised to find a plastic tote containing 14 kilograms (31 pounds) of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl in a crate they thought was a shipment of mugs. The estimated street value of the drugs is $3 million. The Auburn Police Department is working with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency to investigate the source of the shipment and is urging anyone with information to contact them.
Posts tagged as “fentanyl”
The U.S. Justice Department has charged 28 members and leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, including three sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, with fentanyl trafficking, weapons and money laundering. The Chapitos are accused of fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, and more charges are expected to be filed in the future as part of the Justice Department's larger effort to combat the opioid crisis in the United States.
The U.S. Justice Department and Treasury Department have announced a major crackdown on the Sinaloa cartel, with charges filed against four sons of imprisoned drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and sanctions imposed against two Chinese companies and five people in China and Guatemala. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the charges are part of a larger effort to combat the trafficking of fentanyl coming north into the U.S. while also cracking down on the trafficking of guns going south into Mexico. The Biden administration has said it is committed to strengthening cooperation with Mexico to combat the trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs.
Biden Administration Declares Fentanyl Mixed with Xylazine an “Emerging Threat” to the United States
Biden Administration Declares Fentanyl Mixed with Xylazine an “Emerging Threat” to the United States
The Biden administration has declared fentanyl mixed with xylazine, known as "tranq", to be an "emerging threat" to the United States, the first time any administration has used the authority granted by the SUPPORT Act of 2018 to do so. Dr. Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, announced the declaration and said the administration is committed to addressing the opioid crisis and is taking steps to reduce overdose deaths. The plan includes increasing access to treatment and prevention services, expanding access to naloxone, and increasing public awareness about the dangers of opioids.
Irvin Cartagena, also known as "Green Eyes," pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogue in relation to the overdose death of actor Michael K. Williams. Cartagena faces a minimum of five years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3, 2022. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has warned those who seek to profit from the distribution of deadly drugs and urged anyone struggling with addiction to seek help.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued an alert warning of the widespread threat of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer. According to the DEA, this combination is more potent and can cause more severe health effects than fentanyl alone. The DEA is urging the public to be aware of the dangers of fentanyl and xylazine and to seek help if they or someone they know is struggling with addiction.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has suggested that the fentanyl overdose crisis in the United States is caused by a lack of family support, attributing the problem to a breakdown of family values. His comments have sparked a debate about the role of family in the opioid crisis, with some agreeing with his assessment and others arguing that the crisis is too complex to be attributed to a single cause. 70,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States have been blamed on the synthetic opioid, which is trafficked by Mexican cartels.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has criticized the Department of Justice for not charging any protesters outside Supreme Court justices' homes in the wake of the Dobbs decision. In response, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that white supremacists are the most dangerous domestic terror group in the US, and that the DOJ is committed to protecting the rights of all Americans. The DOJ has yet to comment on Cruz's criticism.