Border Patrol. More than
9 million people have crossed
over from Ukraine since the war
started last year.
>> Fentanyl as a drug impacting
every level of society right
now, according to law
enforcement, millions of counterfeit pills are being
counterfeit pills are being
sold on the black market and
more than half are now laced
with fentanyl. This is why the
drug Enforcement Administration
has made.
>> Stopping the flow of fentanyl. Its number one
fentanyl. Its number one
priority, more than 230 pounds
of fentanyl was seized by the
Houston DEA last year. That
equates to more than 7 million
fatal doses. KPRC 2 investigator Robert Arnold said
investigator Robert Arnold said
now with the head of the DEA is
Houston office toward the DEA
has reached the laboratory and
spoke with families impacted
by this drug. >> As a mom myself, it is very
>> As a mom myself, it is very
scary to think that children
are have access to these pills.
Jaime Vazquez season every day
is the associate director of
the Drug Enforcement
Administration’s lab in Dallas. >> The increase affect know
>> The increase affect know
that we have seen over the last
year or so has been.
With monumental. Just 2
milligrams of fentanyl can
cause a potential death.
>> For reference, 2 milligrams
is the size of the tip of a
pencil in its ending up in
pills. Made to look like
oxycodone or other prescription
medications.
>> Right now you have a lot of
pills that’s out there that are fake pills. Someone can think
fake pills. Someone can think
they’re taken out a role.
But actually they’re taking
just compound ingredients
Woodfin all in. Daniel Como is
the special agent in charge of the DEA Houston office. Any
the DEA Houston office. Any
says 60% of pills found on the
black market are now laced with
fentanyl. When you buy from
the Internet, social media.
>> When you buy from a street
corner and unfortunately, even when you buy from the school
when you buy from the school
and college campuses. And
that’s what we’re talking
about. Comeau says, unless you
buy from a reputable pharmacy,
there’s a high chance you’re
getting a fentanyl-laced pill
and a single moment of curiosity can be fatal. Like in
curiosity can be fatal. Like in
the case of Joshua Gillingham
where to get it.
>> We think he got it and
that’s cool. And what did he
get? He actually got pure
fentanyl. He thought he was and oxi or a parka cent.
and oxi or a parka cent.
And the only thing his system
was fentanyl.
>> Kim Dullahan knew her son
experimented with marijuana
when it came to fentanyl.
>> I really didn’t hear
anything happening in our area.
>> And so it seemed like it was
something that was far away.
>> Cuomo says Fentanyl is
anything but far away. Last
year, the Houston Office of
the DEA seized an a fatal doses of fentanyl to kill every
of fentanyl to kill every
single person in the greater
Houston area. What these pills
the covers every social
economic level from the poor to
the rich. Everyone’s taking
these pills.
>> It hurts really bad.
It’s really that I think about
her every day.
>> Patrice Callaway sister
Karen Jackson was a 58 year-old Ph D.
Ph D.
>> She had some issues with me
and back problems
>> and
>> you know, the the opiate
addiction. We just got addicted to
We just got addicted to
opiates. I can accept a lot
of things but it was the front. Was the fentanyl. I lost my
Was the fentanyl. I lost my
sister. Because of the opiate
addiction. And the pill laced
with fentanyl.
>> In just like we saw it, the
DEA lab in Dallas, the average person buying on the black
person buying on the black
market has no way of knowing
whether the pill they’re taking
is laced with fentanyl. They
might make a mistake. One
mistake can cost them their
life. Right now in your
experience, have you ever seen
a drug pose quite a threat like this? No, I think this is the
this? No, I think this is the
biggest threat we’ve ever seen.
>> The head of the DEA
testified last week that the
ages of victims of fentanyl
poisoning range from 17 months to 70 years in Texas. The
to 70 years in Texas. The
Department of State Health
Services reports the largest
age group dying from this drug