Feds seize more than $8M in mixed narcotics at California port
(NCD)CALEXICO, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the Calexico Port of Entry recently intercepted narcotics worth more than $8 million during a five-day span. More than 106 pounds of fentanyl were discovered by CBP officers utilizing the port’s imaging machine on Friday, July 15.were discovered by CBP officers utilizing the port’s imaging machine on Friday, July 15. More than 72 pounds of fentanyl and nearly 187 pounds of methamphetamine were discovered by CBP officers utilizing the port’s imaging machine on Sunday, July 17. The total estimated street value of the narcotics intercepted by Calexico CBP officers was $8.25 million. The narcotics and vehicles were seized by CBP officers.
wftv.comLouisiana man accused of possessing fentanyl
— A Louisiana man is accused of possessing fentanyl after he was stopped by sheriff’s deputies during a traffic stop, authorities said. The sheriff’s office said deputies with the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement stopped Williams after he ran a stop sign in Alexandria, KALB-TV reported. A man from Pineville was arrested in a traffic stop that led to the recovery of fentanyl. After receiving permission to search Williams’ vehicle, deputies discovered fentanyl and a digital scale, according to KALB. Williams was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center.
wftv.comBorder Patrol agents near San Diego seize fentanyl worth nearly $3.7M
Fentanyl bust K-9 in front of roughly 250 pounds of fentanyl seized by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Campo, California, on Monday, July 18, 2022. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)CAMPO, Calif. — U.S. Border Patrol agents thwarted a substantial smuggling attempt early Monday morning, intercepting roughly 250 pounds of fentanyl near Campo, California. >> Read more trending newsAccording to a news release, agents assigned to the Campo Border Patrol Station conducted a vehicle stop on a black 2015 GMC truck on eastbound Interstate 8 near the Golden Acorn Casino. After a Border Patrol K-9 alerted fellow officers to the suspected presence of narcotics, agents discovered multiple bundles concealed within the vehicle’s spare tire and gas tank. Further investigation confirmed that the bundles contained a combined 250 pounds of pills that tested positive for fentanyl.
wftv.comFeds seize fentanyl worth more than $1M hidden in dry goods at California port
Fentanyl: What you need to know (NCD)OTAY MESA, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently intercepted more than 100 pounds of fentanyl concealed within a food shipment entering the United States at California’s Otay Mesa Port of Entry. >> Read more trending newsOfficers inspecting a 2005 GMC Yukon at about 10:50 p.m. PDT July 3 discovered 46 plastic-wrapped packages concealed within food products. The substances, which included both fentanyl powder and fentanyl pills, were found concealed in packages containing flour, ground coffee, creamer cans and powdered milk, according to a news release. Our field office is also diligently working on mitigating the risks involved with seizing this lethal narcotic,” she added. According to the agency, more than 42 pounds of fentanyl powder and more than 59 pounds of fentanyl pills, with a combined estimated street value of more than $1.2 million, were seized in the shipment.
wftv.comDEA seizes 1 million fentanyl pills in record-setting California drug bust
Fentanyl: What you need to know (NCD)LOS ANGELES — Agents with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration made history in California when they seized 1 million fake pills that contained fentanyl. >> Read more trending newsThe DEA announced the historic bust in a news release, saying it was the largest seizure of fentanyl the organization had ever made in California. DEA seizes 1 million fentanyl pills in record-setting California drug bust Evidence photo. Agents told the newspaper that the fake pills were designed to mimic real prescription drugs in terms of size, color and shape. DEA seizes 1 million fentanyl pills in record-setting California drug bust Evidence photo.
wftv.comRural Florida county shocked by fentanyl deaths over holiday
The state had even rejected a grant application to treat fentanyl overdoses because the county of about 43,700 people couldn’t definitively identify any cases involving the powerful synthetic opioid. Over the holiday weekend, nine people died and another nine were treated over suspected fentanyl overdoses. Law enforcement officials say most people affected don't know it's in the illegal drugs they're buying — in amounts that otherwise wouldn't necessarily be deadly. “In these last six months I've seen the most overdoses that I've ever seen since I've been working here,” said Jennifer Travieso, who has worked at DISC for 17 years. He believes it arrived in the county prepackaged, so it's possible local dealers weren't aware they were selling fentanyl.
wftv.com‘Enough to kill everyone’: 43K doses of fentanyl seized in Florida Panhandle city
(NCD)PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Police in a Florida Panhandle city said they seized enough fentanyl “to kill every single resident of the City of Panama City,” authorities said. >> Read more trending newsAccording to a news release, the Panama City Police Department concluded a two-week investigation that resulted in the arrest of three men, WJHG-TV reported. Enough Fentanyl to kill everyone who lives in Panama City was taken off the streets. That’s according to Panama City Police. Brandon Lamar Ware, 32, was charged with possession of fentanyl and possession and/or use of narcotic equipment.
wftv.com‘She wouldn’t be gone’: Overdose victim’s mom says controversial test strip could have saved her
VIDEO: Fentanyl overdose victim’s mom says controversial test strip could have saved her life United States Drug Administration officials say reducing fentanyl overdoses has become their top priority in communities all across the country. (Ashley Edlund, WFTV.com/WFTV)ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — United States Drug Administration officials say reducing fentanyl overdoses has become their top priority in communities all across the country. “I dropped to my knees.”Kittrell’s daughter, Amber Bardwell, was just 19 years old when she died in a Central Florida motel. Investigators eventually confirmed for Kittrell that Amber didn’t know she was taking fentanyl that night. “There are testing strips where you can dip it in either a liquid substance or a powdery substance, anything really, you can test it for fentanyl,” Kittrell said.
wftv.comUtah man accused of selling fentanyl-laced marijuana
Fentanyl: What you need to know (NCD)SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — A Utah man is accused of selling marijuana laced with fentanyl, authorities said. He also faces one misdemeanor “open container” charge after an open bottle of liquor was found in his vehicle, according to the television station. PSA - Today #SummitCounty Deputies learned a resident experienced a reaction after smoking marijuana he purchased from a 25yo Silver Summit man. After testing the drug, deputies determined that it was laced with fentanyl and contacted federal law officials, KTVX reported. He was detained after officers conducted a search of his vehicle and discovered a “green leafy substance,” according to the television station.
wftv.comFentanyl suspected in overdose deaths of 3 at LA apartment
Overdoses Los Angeles FILE - Officials walk past images of illegal drugs outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, May 13, 2021, in Los Angeles. Los Angeles police say three men were found dead of suspected drug overdoses involving fentanyl. On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, officers found the dead men inside an apartment after police received a call about three unresponsive men late Wednesday. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) (Marcio Jose Sanchez)LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Three men were found dead of suspected drug overdoses involving fentanyl in downtown Los Angeles, police said Thursday. “Provisionally, in the 12-months ending October 2021, an historic 105,752 persons are predicted to have died from a drug overdose,” the document said.
wftv.com‘Totally heartbreaking’: Central Florida families work to educate on dangers of fentanyl
Fentanyl Every day, families mourn the unexpected deaths of loved ones due to them being unknowingly exposed to fentanyl. (WFTV.com News Staff)SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Every day, families mourn the unexpected deaths of loved ones due to them being unknowingly exposed to fentanyl. Three Central Florida families sat down with Channel 9′s Seminole County reporter Jeff Levkulich to talk about the loss of their children in the hopes that their stories will other lives before its too late. Davis’ mother now speaks to groups of students about the dangers of drugs at University of Central Florida and other schools. “It is totally heartbreaking, but we need to work on mental health in Florida and in this country,” she said.
wftv.comOverdose deaths skyrocketing in Central Florida
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Overdose deaths in Central Florida have hit historic highs, according to new data. Last year in Central Florida, an average of 58 people died from an overdose every 30 days. A report just released by the nonprofit Project Opioid finds overdose deaths across the states are up 190% since 2015 and are soaring in Central Florida. In Seminole County, community partnerships and programs are attempting to address both substance use and mental health. READ: Overdose deaths up from last year across Central FloridaClick here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
wftv.comFlorida groups canvass spring breakers to warn of fentanyl
Spring Break-Fentanyl-Florida Huston Ochoa, a clinical counselor for The Spot, hands out samples of Narcan, which can reduce opioid overdoses, to spring breakers on Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla., on March 31, 2022. “But the spring breakers have been great. Gentles, who worked as a bartender and bouncer in New York City before moving to Fort Lauderdale, said he appreciates their efforts. The following Monday, more than 100 people representing agencies from law enforcement to social service organizations and hospitals met via Zoom to devise a plan to keep spring breakers safe. Smith, of The SPOT, said spring breakers were “grateful and appreciative” and his group now has to plan how to "keep the momentum going."
wftv.comFentanyl-related ‘mass-overdose’ events prompt nationwide warning by DEA
The Drug Enforcement Administration is sounding the alarm after at least seven U.S. cities have reported recent fentanyl-related mass-overdose events. “Fentanyl is killing Americans at an unprecedented rate,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram stated in a Wednesday letter to federal, state and local law enforcement, warning of the spike in fentanyl-related incidents. Tragically, many overdose victims have no idea they are ingesting deadly fentanyl, until it’s too late,” she added. When drug dealers sell pills designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions but are actually fake prescription pills containing fentanyl. “This is creating a frightening nationwide trend where many overdose victims are dying after unknowingly ingesting fentanyl,” the agency stated.
wftv.comProsecutors: California drug bust yields enough fentanyl to kill 4.7M people
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Prosecutors in California filed felony charges against two men after recovering 20.5 pounds of fentanyl last month, authorities said Wednesday. In addition to the fentanyl, Buena Park police officers recovered 821 pounds of methamphetamine and 189.7 pounds of cocaine, the release stated. It’s the largest drug bust in Orange County in nearly 16 years. Raygozaparedes and Lamas both face a maximum sentence of 37 years, four months in prison if convicted on all of the charges, prosecutors said. Drug dealers don’t care about you or your loved ones -- they only care about their bottom line and making as much money as possible.
wftv.comDrug agents seize nearly 3 pounds of fentanyl hidden in cans of beans
CORINTH, Maine — Members of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested three people after they say they found nearly three pounds of illegal drugs hidden inside sealed cans of beans. Drug agents seize nearly 3 pounds of fentanyl hidden in cans of beans Photo from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency shows a can of beans that investigators say contained hidden fentanyl. Drug agents seize nearly 3 pounds of fentanyl hidden in cans of beans Drug agents said they found 2.8 pounds of fentanyl inside sealed cans of beans, as well as $3,000. (Penobscot County Jail)Agents said that in addition to 2.8 pounds of fentanyl in cans of beans, they also found $3,000 in suspected drug proceeds. Drug agents seize nearly 3 pounds of fentanyl hidden in cans of beans Agents said in addition to the 2.8 pounds of fentanyl, they found $3,000.
wftv.comUncle charged after 12-year-old overdoses on fentanyl on school bus
CAMDEN, N.J. — Police in New Jersey have arrested a man after his 12-year-old nephew overdosed on fentanyl and died while on the bus to school. Man arrested for nephew's overdose death Prosecutors say Troy Nokes is responsible for his 12-year-old nephew's fentanyl overdose on a school bus Jan. 24. (Camden County Prosecutor)Prosecutors said the 12-year-old victim was found unresponsive on his school bus on Jan. 24. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 150 people die each day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Woman arrested in child's overdose death Photo of Joanna Johnson, who is charged with tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension.
wftv.comOfficial: Army football player hospitalized after 6 overdose
A West Point official told The Associated Press that one of the cadets who was hospitalized is an Army football player. The official said another football player at the house was not hospitalized. The official had no further information and could not give the sickened player’s condition. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the ongoing investigation. Two other victims were in stable condition, one was in good condition and one was released.
wftv.com6 overdose in Florida; West Point says cadets are involved
WILTON MANORS, Fla. — (AP) — The U.S. Military Academy said Friday that cadets from that institution were involved in a situation in which six people overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine at a South Florida vacation home during Spring Break. Two of the six were in critical condition, rescue and emergency officials said. The New York academy's public affairs office released a statement Friday afternoon saying its officials are “aware of the situation involving West Point cadets, which occurred Thursday night in the community of Wilton Manors." Two other victims were in stable condition, one was in good condition and one was released. Gollan said that in the 70 days since Jan. 1, his department has responded to 215 suspected opioid overdoses, almost all of them involved fentanyl.
wftv.comPossible fentanyl overdose lands 6 students on spring break in Florida hospitals
It happened in an Airbnb in the Fort Lauderdale area. One of the six students was in critical condition. Authorities said four apparently ingested fentanyl-laced cocaine and the other two were affected when they tried to perform CPR.
cbsnews.comProsecutor: Fentanyl likely killed 5 in Colorado apartment
Drug tests done at the apartment in Commerce City, about 7 miles (11 kilometers) northeast of Denver, found an “overwhelming amount” of fentanyl and some cocaine, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason said. The evidence suggests the victims were snorting the substance, which is a more common way to ingest cocaine than fentanyl, when they died Sunday, he said. Fentanyl is an unpredictable and powerful synthetic painkiller that is blamed for driving an increase in fatal drug overdoses. Nichols said that he did not know who the victims were but that some of them lived inside the unit. He said it was unclear if the baby's parents were among the people found dead in the apartment.
wftv.comFentanyl-laced marijuana fueling Connecticut overdoses, police say
Marijuana Stock photo of marijuana. Health officials in Connecticut are warning residents that a rash of recent statewide overdoses may be linked to fentanyl-laced marijuana. (Scott Cramer/Getty Images/iStockphoto)HARTFORD, Ct. — Health officials in Connecticut are warning residents that a rash of recent statewide overdoses may be linked to fentanyl-laced marijuana. “This is the first lab confirmed case of marijuana with fentanyl in Connecticut and possibly the first confirmed case in the United States,” Juthani stated. >> Related: Drug overdose deaths top 100,000 annually for first time, CDC says©2021 Cox Media Group
wftv.comFentanyl smuggled in wooden display boxes seized by Memphis customs agents
Fentanyl bust U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers took a closer look Aug. 24 at a package manifested as “wood crafts art and technique of making" and found fentanyl concealed within the boxes. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Would-be fentanyl smugglers got a little crafty at an express consignment hub in Memphis, Tennessee, recently, but the ruse ultimately failed. The boxes had been bound for a southeast Houston residence. According to customs agents, an X-ray identified anomalies within two of the boxes, and investigators discovered an off-white powdery substance along the inside linings of the display boxes. The substance, later confirmed in lab testing to be fentanyl, had been placed “within gaps created by a double walling of the interior of the boxes,” the CBP stated.
wftv.comReport: Pandemic a role in Kentucky's record overdose deaths
The official count easily eclipsed the state's prior record level of fatal drug overdoses and mirrored a national increase in overdose deaths, the report said. A key factor was the prevalence of fentanyl — involved in about 71% of the state's overdose deaths for the year, according to the report, issued Tuesday. Another factor contributing to the 49% increase in Kentucky's drug overdose deaths was the availability of potent, inexpensive methamphetamines, the report said. Nationally, overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government reported recently. That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths reached the previous year and amounts to a 29% increase.
wftv.comEase of Covid lockdown restrictions may help diminish drug addiction, National Institute on Drug Abuse director says
Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told CNBC's "The News with Shepard Smith" that she's hopeful that the spike in drug overdoses will not be lasting.
cnbc.comBrevard County deputies investigating after body found in submerged car
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A death investigation is underway after Brevard County deputies said a body was found in a submerged car in Malabar. Deputies said the car was found underwater near the St. Johns Management area boat ramp located at 4350 Malabar Road in Malabar. READ: 53 Fentanyl dealers arrested in 9-month operation, Orlando police sayNo other details have been released. Stay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates. READ: Potential Tropical Cyclone Three forecast to bring heavy rain, flooding to Gulf Coast
wftv.com53 Fentanyl dealers arrested in 9-month operation, Orlando police say
ORLANDO, Fla. — Police said they arrested 53 Fentanyl dealers over a span of nine months during a special operation in Orlando. Police said the department’s Special Enforcement Division’s Overdose Unit made the arrests during “Operation Good Call.” They said that name came from the many phone calls detectives made to buy Fentanyl and then subsequently arrest the dealers. READ: COVID-19 delta strain could become dominant variant“Fentanyl addiction is a problem that impacts the entire community, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or age,” said Police Chief Orlando Rolón in a statement. “The drug is so potent, it is claiming lives at a rapidly increasing rate.”The department’s overdose unit is set to discuss the operation at 10 a.m. on Friday. READ: 3 people found dead in Parramore apartment buildingStay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates.
wftv.comEnough fentanyl to kill San Francisco: the new wave of the opioid crisis sweeping California
Deaths from fentanyl overdoses have jumped by more than 2,100% in five years as the powerful drug has flooded the state Family members whose relatives died from pills containing fentanyl outside the Roybal federal building on in Los Angeles, California Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images When San Francisco police seized seven kilos of powder-filled baggies containing the deadly opioid fentanyl last week, the city’s police chief warned the bust contained “enough lethal overdoses to wipe
news.yahoo.comFlagler Grand Jury Issues 4 Indictments for Murder, 2 More in Drug Deaths, 2 in Killing of Deon O’Neal Jenkins
Bennett was arrested on Wednesday when she had reported to the probation office, since she was on probation for drug offenses. That initial report was listed as a “death,” not an overdose death, and included no indications of an overdose. “Every overdose death in Flagler County is investigated and prosecuted as a homicide. There is no more slap on the wrist for selling drugs that cause overdose deaths. In 2016, fentanyl was the leading cause of drug-overdose deaths, with 704 such deaths recorded.
flaglerlive.comDetectives find drugs, gun, cash inside Clermont family’s home
CLERMONT, Fla. – Two people are behind bars after authorities in Lake County found drugs and firearms during a drug bust at a Clermont home. Law enforcement from the Clermont, Eustis, and Leesburg Police Departments worked to serve a search warrant Friday on a suspected drug house. “The investigation began as the result of numerous citizen complaints that drugs were being dealt at the home,” deputies said. “Detectives seized a 2015 custom Dodge Charger, a 2003 Ford van, a 2015 Dodge Durango, and a 2014 custom Ford F-350, as well as the large amount of cash that was located,” detectives said. The Department of Children and Families was brought in to take care of the children living in the home with dangerous drugs including Fentanyl.
Sheriffs Detectives Investigating Womans Suspicious Fall from 2nd Floor at European Village
Susanne Rachel Whitaker, a 41-year-old resident of a second-floor apartment at European Village in Palm Coast, fell from her balcony early Sunday morning. The Flagler County Sheriffs Office is describing the incident as suspicious.The 911 dispatch center got a call at 4:43 that morning reporting the fall. Brett Lalomia, 49, told deputies he was Whitakers boyfriend of six years and a resident at the same apartment. According to a sheriffs incident report, he told deputies that he wasnt sure what had taken place. Lalomia told deputies that his girlfriend allegedly does inject fentanyl, and that it is very likely that she took it that day, according to the report.
flaglerlive.comFentanyl didnt cause death, expert testifies in Daytona overdose murder trial
The 26-year-old Mai was indicted in July on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Samantha Stefanczak. Buffington testified that the amount of fentanyl found in Stefanczaks system was not high enough to cause her death. He said she had other drugs in her system and those amounts were also not high enough to cause her death. Buffington testified that it was unknown what caused Stefanczak to have that "medical event." He said none of the drugs found in her system, including fentanyl, were in a high enough dosage to kill her.
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