DEA warns of ‘nationwide spike’ in fentanyl-related mass-overdose deaths, as border crisis rages

The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning of a “nationwide spike” in fentanyl-related mass overdoses because it says the drug is killing Individuals at an “unprecedented” price – deaths that prime Republicans are tying to the continuing disaster on the southern border.

“The DEA is seeing a nationwide spike in fentanyl-related mass-overdose occasions involving three or extra overdoses occurring shut in time on the similar location,” the company stated in a letter to federal, state and native legislation enforcement.

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The company stated there have been no less than seven mass-overdose occasions, involving 58 overdoses and 29 deaths. The overdoses occurred in states together with Colorado, Texas, Nebraska and Florida.

The company stated that lots of the victims believed they have been taking cocaine, and didn’t know that it was laced with fentanyl – a lethal drug that’s 50-100 instances stronger than morphine.

“Fentanyl is killing Individuals at an unprecedented price,” stated DEA Administrator Anne Milgram in a separate assertion. “Already this 12 months, quite a few mass-overdose occasions have resulted in dozens of overdoses and deaths. Drug traffickers are driving habit, and growing their earnings, by mixing fentanyl with different illicit medication. Tragically, many overdose victims don’t know they’re ingesting lethal fentanyl, till it’s too late.”

The company cited Facilities for Illness Management statistics that in a 12-month interval ending in October, there have been greater than 105,000 drug overdoses – 66% of which have been associated to fentanyl and different artificial opioids.

The drug is primarily trafficked through the southern border. Greater than 10,586 lbs of fentanyl have been seized on the southern border in FY 2021 by Customs and Border Safety (CBP), up considerably from the 4,558 lbs in FY 2020 and a couple of,633 in FY 2019. A lot of the quantity seized is caught at ports of entry.

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A current report by the bipartisan Fee on Combating Artificial Opioid Trafficking stated the supply of fentanyl into the U.S. has developed from 2014-2019, when most fentanyl got here in from China through worldwide mail. Now, the report stated, it is available in from Mexico through the land border.

“The drug is manufactured in unlawful laboratories there utilizing precursors from Asia – primarily the [People’s Republic of China] – and is trafficked principally by land into the US,” the report stated.

In its assertion, the DEA stated it’s working to hint the overdoses again to native drug trafficking organizations and worldwide cartels who it stated are chargeable for the surging home provide of the drug. It stated that within the first months of 2022, DEA seized practically 2,000 lbs of the drug.

Home Republican Chief Kevin McCarthy linked the spike in deaths to the Biden administration’s dealing with of the disaster on the southern border and famous the choice introduced final week to elevate the Title 42 public well being order — which permits for the fast expulsion of migrants on the border.

“President Biden has by no means prioritized the safety of our nation’s border and, whereas his determination to get rid of Title 42 might appease his far-left political base, it should come on the expense of the well being and security of the American individuals,” McCarthy stated in an announcement to Fox Information Digital. “The opioid epidemic is actual and it’s devastating households throughout the nation. And now Biden’s radical open border insurance policies will solely exacerbate this disaster inflicting extra lethal fentanyl to circulate into our neighborhoods.”

McCarthy stated that the elimination of Title 42 “will solely make this downside a lot worse.”

“President Biden can not ignore this drug epidemic – he should take motion to cease this unprecedented circulate of fentanyl and implement Home Republicans’ options to completely implement Title 42 and safe our southern border,” he stated.

The choice to finish Title 42 sparked concern from each Republicans and average Democrats – who’ve warned that the order ought to solely be ended with a ample plan in place. 

The Biden administration has stated that it expects a major inflow of numbers within the months forward, planning for numbers of as much as 18,000 a day. Nonetheless, it has repeatedly stated that it’s implementing a plan to cope with such a rise.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday stated that DHS has “put in place a complete, whole-of-government technique to handle any potential enhance within the variety of migrants encountered at our border.”

“We’re growing our capability to course of new arrivals, consider asylum requests, and rapidly take away those that don’t qualify for defense,” he stated in an announcement. “We are going to enhance personnel and sources as wanted and have already redeployed greater than 600 legislation enforcement officers to the border. We’re referring smugglers and sure border crossers for prison prosecution. Over the subsequent two months, we’re putting in extra, acceptable COVID-19 protocols, together with ramping up our vaccination program.”