Federal officials have issued a grave warning about a new and trending cocktail of illegal street drugs nicknamed “tranq.” Tranq is a mixture of fentanyl and the animal tranquilizer Xylazine. According to the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration, tranq has been found in 48 states. Experts say it’s incredibly dangerous and the drug does
Continue ReadingBy KFSN staff Click here for updates on this story MERCED COUNTY, California (KFSN) — Authorities have announced several arrests have been made in Merced County fentanyl busts. Attorney General Rob Bonta, Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke and other officials in a press conference Wednesday announced seven people have been arrested in two separate cases
Continue ReadingBy Deidre McPhillips, CNN Drug overdose deaths in the US rose to record levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention details the deadly rise of fentanyl. Typically, the CDC reports overdose data by broader drug categories. Fentanyl, for example, is grouped with other synthetic
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A pair from Indio was among the numerous arrested in connection with a multi-year international investigation into the sale of fentanyl and opioids through the dark web. The Indio residents, identified as Holly Adams, 31, and Devlin Hosner, 33, was federally charged in May 2022 with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute
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By TRÂN NGUYỄN Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Pamela Smith remembers vividly the last time she saw her only son alive. It was 3:18 a.m. on July 3, 2016, in Fresno, California, and 22-year-old Jackson Smith was lying motionless on a table in an emergency room while a nurse performed chest compressions. Earlier that
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California’s State Senate Public Safety Committee blocked a bill on Tuesday that was proposing harsher penalties for people who sold fentanyl. The bill was called “Alexandra’s Law” after a 20-year-old Riverside County woman who died in 2019 from fentanyl poisoning. The proposed law would have required convicted fentanyl dealers to get a warning from judges.
Continue ReadingBy ANNIE GIMBEL Click here for updates on this story NORTH TEXAS (KTVT) — The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 23 people linked to the Sinaloa Cartel’s fentanyl trafficking operation, which Garland police blame for an uptick in fatal overdoses in the last eight years. “Today, the Justice Department is announcing significant enforcement actions
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Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin today joined the father of a college student who died from fentanyl poisoning, along with a federal law enforcement official, in calling on the state Legislature to pass laws that would mandate warnings to drug suppliers that they could face murder charges if what they sell kills someone. “We
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A man who sold fentanyl pills that killed a 20-year-old college student in Temecula, prompting her father to initiate a nationwide campaign calling for action to break the fentanyl supply chain and bust the dealers, was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison. Brandon Michael McDowell, 24, pleaded guilty in August to possession with
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To combat the ongoing scourge of fentanyl and attempt to prevent a rising death rate connected to the synthetic drug, federal and local authorities today initiated a “Death in Disguise” drug awareness campaign in Riverside. @RivCoDA is Live! https://t.co/GxVaq2lFnB— Riverside County DA’s Office (@RivCoDA) January 26, 2023 “It’s the number one cause of death (in
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Local schools are taking action on the fentanyl epidemic, as the deadly drug circulates in Riverside County. According to Riverside County, there have been 214 fentanyl-related deaths in 2022 so far. The drug comes in several forms and can be laced in any drug. Brightly colored pills are being marketed to be more appealing for
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An arrest has been made in the fentanyl poisoning death of a 22-year-old Coachella Valley resident earlier this year. On January 1, 2022, Travis O’Brien, 22, was found dead in the 69000 block of Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Overdose Death Investigations and Narcotics Unit (ODIN) determined that O’Brien was
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A Desert Hot Springs man is facing murder charges after being accused of supplying the fentanyl that killed a woman one year ago. The death happened on Aug. 12, 2021. Police were called to the 66000 block of Flora Avenue to respond to a 32-year-old female who was having a medical emergency from a possible
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Update: 5/5/22 39-year-old Tiffany Ellen Wright, 39, the woman accused of selling fentanyl has been charged with one count of murder. Tiffany Ellen Wright Full Details: Murder charge for Palm Desert woman accused of selling fentanyl that led to man’s death Original Report 5/4/22 Loved ones are remembering a Palm Desert resident Cameron Bridges, 32,
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Riverside County law enforcement officials today joined a state lawmaker and families of victims “poisoned” by fentanyl, calling on the public to support legislative and other efforts aimed at stemming the “tide and scourge” of the deadly synthetic drug. The initial goal of the gathering was to rally behind state Sen. Melissa Melendez’s Senate Bill
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One father is seeking justice after his daughter was sold a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl. That pill resulted in her death nearly two years ago. The man who sold her that pill has been arrested and now faces federal charges. “I had to be very patient over this time. I’m glad it’s him
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The Riverside and Orange County district attorney’s offices are cracking down on fentanyl dealers. Those who distribute the deadly drug can now be charged with murder if someone dies after ingesting or being exposed to it. Riverside County district attorney Mike Hestrin says the fentanyl crisis has escalated out of control in recent years. He
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It’s a devastating reality; the number of deaths related to fentanyl in Riverside County are growing at an alarming rate. That’s according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s office. In an exclusive interview, News Channel 3’s Caitlin Thropay spoke with Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin and sat one-on-one with a grieving mother who lost
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