Why fentanyl is the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States
More than 150 Americans die every day from overdoses of fentanyl and synthetic opioids. Here’s why fentanyl is so deadly.
A multi-agency police team arrested six people in Wayne and Macomb counties on Thursday in connection with illegal drug and weapons possession, Michigan State Police said.
Police said they seized 227 grams of fentanyl, 113 grams of heroin, 153 grams of cocaine, 24 grams of crack cocaine and seven firearms, two of which had been reported stolen. No charges have been filed against the suspect, but the notice provided few other details about the drug raid.
Fentanyl, a lab-made opioid used by doctors to treat acute pain, has become a killer across the country, particularly because it is laced with other drugs. Experts say it is relatively easy to manufacture, 100 times more potent than morphine – and deadly even in small doses.
The dangers of drugs, particularly fentanyl, have been in the media lately as the Biden administration seeks to crack down on synthetic drugs by strengthening border controls and pushing forward legislation to toughen penalties for drug traffickers.
The latest arrest also comes shortly after the announcement last week that a federal grand jury had indicted 19 people, including eight from the Detroit metropolitan area, on charges of leading a large-scale drug ring in three states – Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania – that trafficked fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and oxycodone.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania said a “tight network of family and friends” smuggled “large quantities of deadly drugs.” Federal authorities identified all 19 defendants, who range in age from 24 to 61 and live in communities across the three states.
Detroit, located between Chicago and New York on the border with Canada, has long been a drug hotspot.
The team involved in this week’s drug raids in both counties included state police, agents from the FBI, Border Patrol, SWAT team and the Southeast Michigan Automobile Crime Consortium, a multi-jurisdictional task force that combats auto theft.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or [email protected].
