Pubdate: Sun, 17 Apr 2016
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.utsandiego.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386
Note: Seldom prints LTEs from outside it's circulation area.
Author: David Hernandez

FENTANYL DISGUISED AS OTHER DRUGS ALARMS AUTHORITIES

U.S. customs officers at the Otay Mesa border crossing found the 
tablets hidden in the man's underwear.

There were more than 1,000 pills labeled as oxycodone, but a Drug 
Enforcement Administration lab later discovered that the tablets 
contained a far stronger opiate - fentanyl.

The Feb. 10 confiscation is believed to be the first time federal 
officials along the California-Mexico border intercepted fentanyl 
tablets disguised as oxycodone, raising concerns among authorities 
that such cover-ups could lead to fatal consequences.

"Unsuspecting individuals who illegally purchase oxycodone could 
potentially die from the ingestion of what turns out to be fentanyl 
tablets," U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said in a statement last week. 
"We are very concerned that these counterfeit pills could cause 
serious harm to users."

In the Sacramento area, there have been more than 40 overdoses 
believed to be tied to fentanyl since late March - 10 of them fatal. 
Some of the individuals thought they were taking Norco, a less potent 
painkiller, authorities said.

The DEA issued a public safety alert April 1 warning that 
fentanyl-related overdoses are "occurring at an alarming rate" and 
urged people to only take pills prescribed by a physician or obtained 
from a reputable pharmacy.

In San Diego County, fatal overdoses linked to fentanyl rose from 16 
in 2014 to 28 last year, according to data from the Medical 
Examiner's Office. There have been two deaths tied to fentanyl this 
year, but investigators have not determined what led to many other 
overdoses, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner said.

Health officials say overdosing on fentanyl, which is 25 to 50 times 
stronger than heroin, lowers blood pressure, diminishes breathing and 
slows the heart rate. A form of fentanyl is typically used in a 
clinical setting for extreme pain management or as an anesthetic 
during surgery. It can be prescribed in patch or lollipop form.

Because fentanyl is cheap to manufacture illicitly, disguising it as 
other drugs is more profitable for dealers. Mexican drug cartels are 
known to purchase fentanyl from China and produce the opiate from 
precursors sourced from abroad.

"These criminals are putting fentanyl into fake pills and passing 
them off as legitimate prescription medications," said William 
Sherman, special agent in charge of the DEA in San Diego. "This just 
goes to show the lengths to which criminals will go to make an easy buck."

In 2014, the DEA noted the sudden appearance of fentanyl in San 
Diego-area smuggling busts. In October of that year, Border Patrol 
agents near Murrieta seized 32 pounds of fentanyl, valued at more 
than $600,000, authorities said. A few weeks later, 14 people were 
indicted in a cross-country drug trafficking ring that smuggled drugs 
including fentanyl from Mexico through San Diego.

Alarmed by the recent overdoses and deaths linked to the drug, state 
Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, introduced a bill this month to 
increase prison time for those who sell or distribute large amounts 
of the powerful painkiller.

Among those backing the measure is San Diego County Sheriff Bill 
Gore, who said in a letter of support that Senate Bill 1232 
"validates the serious nature of fentanyl."

The American Civil Liberties Union, however, argues it would only 
aggravate jail crowding.

The suspected drug smuggler in the February incident, Sergio Mendoza 
Bohon, 19, of Tijuana, was arraigned in federal court in San Diego on 
Thursday. Besides the tablets, he was also found with 5.4 grams of 
powdered fentanyl, prosecutors said.
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