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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom