>>> THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC HAS TAKEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES IN THE PAST TWO DECADES
AND ONLY GETTING WORSE.
>> FENTANYL, THE DEADLY DRUG IS
BEING FOUND HERE ON THE STREET
HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA, BUT MAYBE
NOT IN THE WAY YOU’D EXPECT, AND
THAT’S WHY ONE FATHER SPOKE TO
LOCAL LOCAL 10’S JANINE STANWOOD
AND HOPES HIS STORY OF LOSS CAN
PREVENT ANOTHER TRAGEDY.
>> SHE WAS A VET GOOD STUDENT.
SHE LIKED DRAWING AND SHE LIKED
ART.
SHE WAS REALLY POPULAR IN HIGH
SCHOOL.
>> Reporter: FRANK HERNANDEZ
SAYS HIS DAUGHTER MELISSA WAS
VIBRANT AND CREATIVE.
>> SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL SOUL.
>> Reporter: BUT A DAY IN LATE
DECEMBER WOULD CHANGE
EVERYTHING.
>> THAT NIGHT I SPOKE TO HER
LIKE AROUND 8:30 P.M., AND SHE
TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS DOING FINE,
SHE WAS GONNA EAT SOME
DIFFERENT.
>> Reporter: HE MESSAGED WITH
MELISSA ON WHAT’S APP, ASKING
HER TO BE IN TOUCH.
>> SHE SAID, OKAY, I WILL.
I LOVE YOU.
I LOVE YOU AND.
>> THE NEXT MORNING HE THOUGHT
MELISSA WAS AT THE DOOR.
INSTEAD IT WAS HOLLYWOOD POLICE
LATER TELLING HERNANDEZ HIS
DAUGHTER WAS DEAD.
>>> I’M SORRY BUT YOUR DAUGHTER
PASSED AWAY.
>> DOCUMENTS SHOW MELISSA HAD
WHAT LOOKED LIKE XANEX, A COMMON
PRESCRIPTION IN HER BACKPACK,
BUT THE MEDICAL EXAMINER’S
REPORT SAYS THE 21-YEAR-OLD DIED
FROM AN ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE OF
FENTENYL, A SYNTHETIC OPIOID.
>> THIS IS DANGEROUS.
I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF THE
PILLS THAT SOMEONE IS GETTING
NOT FROM THEIR DOCTOR, NOT FROM
A PHARMACY, THE PILLS THAT
THEY’RE GETTING ON THE STREET
WILL CONTAIN FENTENYL.
>> Reporter: THIS IS THE SPECIAL
AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE MIAMI
FIELD OFFICE OF THE DRUG
ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION.
SHE TELLS US MOST DRUGS SOLD ON
THE STREET NOBILITY LOOK LIKE
COMMON PRESCRIPTIONS ARE
ACTUALLY FAKES AND MADE WITH
FENTENYL, A CHEAP SYNTHETIC THAT
GIVES A POTENT HIGH AND KILLS.
>> THESE FAKE PILLS, FOUR OUT OF
10 OF THEM CONTAIN A LETHAL
DOSE.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING ADDICTED TO
THEM AND SEEKING THEM OUT.
AND IT’S VERY LUCRATIVE FOR THE
DRUG TRAFFICKERS.
>> Reporter: IN THE U.S. IN
2021, AGENTS SEIZED 20 MILLION
FAKE PILLS OFTEN LACED WITH
FENTENYL.
AND IN THE MOST RECENT REPORT
FROM THE FLORIDA MEDICAL
EXAMINER’S COMMISSION, BROWARD
COUNTY LED THE STATE IN A NUMBER
OF FENTENYL DEATHS.
SO WHERE DO THESE FACEBOOKS
COMING FROM?
THE DEA SAYS THE CHEMICALS
ORIGINATE CHINA AND INDIA.
THEY’RE SHIPPED INTO MEXICO
WHERE THEY’RE PRESSED INTO PILLS
AND SMUGGLED ACROSS THE U.S.
BORDER.
>> WHAT DO THESE COUNTERFEIT
PILLS LOOK LIKE?
MANY ARE PRESSED TO LOOK EXACTLY
LIKE LEGITIMATE PRESCRIPTIONS.
SO XANEX, ADDERALL, OXYCODONE,
THOSE ARE THE BIG ONES THAT WE
SEE THAT THEY’RE BEING PRESSED
INTO.
>> Reporter: HERNANDEZ TELLS US
MELISSA HAD SOME ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION LIKE MANY YOUNG
PEOPLE AND WAS LEGITIMATELY
PRESCRIBED SAN NECK AT ONE
POINT.
>> THEY GONNA PRESCRIBE ANYMORE,
AND THEN SHE STARTED BUYING ON
THE STREETS.
SHE WAS GETTING HER LIFE ON
TRACK SINCE SHE BROKE UP WITH
HER BOYFRIEND, AND I GUESS THAT
NIGHT SHE FELT SOME ANXIETY, SHE
CALL THIS GUY, GIVE HER A FAKE
PILL THAT KILL HER.
>> Reporter: HOLLYWOOD
DETECTIVES WON’T SAY MUCH ABOUT
MELISSA HERNANDEZ’S CASE OTHER
THAN IT’S A DEATH INVESTIGATION
BUT ACTIVELY WORKING AND WHILE
LAW ENFORCEMENT WON’T GO INTO
DETAIL HOW THEY’RE BUSTING DRUG
TRAFFICKERS, THE DE A BELIEVES
THE DEADLY DEALERS KNOW THEY’RE
GIVING OUT THESE PILLS.
THEY LAUNCHED AN AWARENESS
CAMPAIGN UNCOVERING EMOJI
SYMBOLS LIKE CHOCOLATE AND PILLS
THAT CAN MEAN DRUGS.
>> UNDERSTAND THAT ONE PILL CAN
KILL.
>> I WANT TO TALK TO MY DAUGHTER
RIGHT AWAY SAY, HEY, PLEASE,
DON’T BUY ANYTHING.
THIS COULD KILL YOU.