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Tag: drug smuggling

  • Differences Between Illicit and Pharmaceutical Fentanyl: What You Need to Know

    Understanding the difference between these two types of drugs is essential, as they have very different purposes and implications.

    Fentanyl is a powerful opioid that has been making headlines lately because of its role in increasing overdose deaths across North America. There are two main types of fentanyl: illicit fentanyl and pharmaceutical fentanyl. Understanding the difference between these two types of drugs is essential, as they have very different purposes and implications. In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between illicit and pharmaceutical fentanyl, the dangers of both types, and tips to stay safe.

    What is Fentanyl?

    Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that was introduced into the medical field as an intravenous anesthetic under the trade name of Sublimaze in the 1960s. It is a powerful, short-acting painkiller that’s about 100 times more potent than morphine. It has high lipid solubility and quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier to produce relief from pain.

    Pharmaceutical grade fentanyl is currently available as:

    • Actiq®– oral transmucosal lozenges, commonly referred to as the fentanyl “lollipops.” 
    • Fentora®– effervescent buccal tablets 
    • Abstral®– sublingual tablet 
    • Subsys®– sublingual spray 
    • Lazanda®– nasal spray 
    • Duragesic®– transdermal patches, and injectable formulations.

    In 2015 there were six million prescriptions dispensed per year, with two thirds going to patients with cancer or other painful medical conditions. Still, during peak times for the opioid crisis (2016-2017), this changed drastically when widespread abuse led many doctors to stop prescribing them altogether because they could not distinguish between legitimate patient needs and addiction, which caused many patients to feel abandoned and desperate.

    Illicit Fentanyl

    According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), synthetic opioids — namely illicit fentanyl — remain the primary cause of fatal overdoses in the United States. 

    China is the main country of origin for illicit fentanyl, and its analogs are trafficked into the United States. In 2019, China fulfilled a pledge to U.S. authorities by placing all forms on a regulatory schedule designed primarily as drug substances or raw materials used in the manufacturing of fentanyl. While China’s shipment of these lethal materials directly into America has decreased, shipments coming in through Mexico have been increasing at record numbers. 

    The connection between China and Mexico has grown due to increased fentanyl precursor sales by Chinese traffickers. In March 2021, Matthew Donahue described this situation as “an unlimited supply” that would keep arriving at Mexican cartels’ doors without end — a description which perfectly fits the tasks currently facing law enforcement agencies throughout both countries today. 

    The waves of fentanyl coming into the United States from Mexico are not just reaching our shores, they’re crashing on top of us. In recent months, multiple busts with arrests and seizures link these pill mills in Juarez to make finished Chinese sourced precursors for trafficking across America’s US – Mexico border right here at home!

    Hidden Fentanyl Deaths: How Drug Makers Are Killing Americans 

    Fentanyl is currently found in most counterfeit oxycodone pills and other medications. It is difficult to distinguish between the actual medications from the illicit ones because, as they can easily pass for legal drugs due to its near-identical appearance with many different manufacturers’ logos on each pill or capsule. When this lethal drug is found in other substances, like benzodiazepines, cocaine, and methamphetamines, users with no tolerance to opioids are at much higher risks of dying. Some advocates consider hidden fentanyl deaths as murder by poisoning.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) data, shows that fentanyl is now widely encountered in powder form and as prescription drugs such as oxycodone or Xanax. The danger of illicit fentanyl comes from its potency. A tiny granule of this lethal substance can cause override the body’s natural reflexes to breathe, leading to respiratory depression and death.

    Border Crisis Continue to Fuel Fentanyl Deaths

    The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has seen a record number of seizures along the southwest border, with agents remarking that one reason for this uptick in drug trafficking is due to increased migration from Central America. 

    During last year’s surge in illegal immigration, Border Patrol agents were relocated to process the migrants. This surge led to the closing of inspection checkpoints, allowing drug traffickers to go undetected. The unprecedented upsurge of fentanyl coming into the USA has had disastrous consequences on our citizens and generations to come. Unfortunately, this tragic situation continues to evolve.

    Fentanyl Overdose and Narcan 

    Narcan (naloxone) is a life-saving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The issue is that not everyone who needs Narcan knows how to use it or where to get it. Many people believe that Narcan is only for police or first responders, which is not the case. Narcan can be administered by anyone – a friend, family member, or stranger.

    It is vital to let the public know about Narcan’s ability to reverse an overdose, where to get this life-saving medication, and how to use it. We need to make sure that people have access to this life-saving drug in case of an overdose.

    If you are using illicit drugs, be especially careful and take steps to reduce your risk of exposure to fentanyl. These steps include not using drugs alone, carrying naloxone (Narcan), and being aware of the signs of an overdose. If you think someone may be overdosing on fentanyl, the symptoms may include having trouble breathing or swallowing; extreme sleepiness with no response when called upon. The most common overdose responses are:

    • Lips turning blue
    • Gurgling sounds 
    • Body stiffness or seizure-like activity
    • Foaming at the mouth
    • Confusion or bizarre behavior before becoming unresponsive

    Getting Treatment

    If you are struggling with fentanyl dependence, please seek help. Many resources are available, including medically assisted detox treatment centers, drug rehabs, and support groups. Don’t let fentanyl take your life – there is hope for recovery.

    It is essential to clearly understand the differences between a medical detox program and substance abuse rehabilitation. At the same time, both help those struggling with drug addiction, medical detoxification monitors and manages the physical symptoms of withdrawal, while rehabs mainly offer psychological and peer support.

    Fentanyl addiction is frightening and, more than ever, a dangerous activity. Withdrawal from fentanyl can be challenging and intense; although opioid withdrawal is generally not considered life-threatening on its own; however, some of the medical and psychological symptoms may lead to complications that can be deadly. It is always good to get assistance from medical and mental health professionals through detoxification who can utilize multiple strategies for managing withdrawal effects while keeping patients safe.

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    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Man Hid Marijuana In His Nose 18 Years Ago Then Forgot About It

    Man Hid Marijuana In His Nose 18 Years Ago Then Forgot About It

    Researchers believe that this is the first reported case of a “prison-acquired marijuana-based rhinolith.”

    Around 18 years ago, an Australian man stashed a small amount of marijuana in a balloon then stuck it deep into his nasal cavity then went to prison. Once inside, he assumed that he had accidentally swallowed it and went about his life. 

    Nearly two decades later, the man, now free, entered the hospital to figure out why he was having such intense headaches. After discovering that the man had a history of chronic nasal issues, doctors performed a CT scan when they found a rhinolith. Rhinoliths are stones that are lodged deep inside the nasal cavity. Rhinoliths can occur internally (via bone fragments, dislodged teeth) but they can also be foreign objects like small toys, beads, seeds…or a small baggie of weed. 

    The Australia man’s rhinolith turned out to be calcified marijuana he thought he had accidentally swallowed back in the early 2000s.

    Jogging His Memory

    The unique case was published under the cheeky title “A Nose Out Of Joint” in the journal BMJ Case Reports. After removing what was determined to be a “rubber capsule containing degenerate vegetable/plant matter,” doctors followed-up with the man in an attempt to figure out exactly what had been stashed in his nose.

    Their line of questioning was enough to help jog the man’s memory.

    “During a prison visit, the patient’s girlfriend supplied him with a small quantity of marijuana, inside a rubber balloon. In order to evade detection, the patient inserted the package inside his right nostril,”  noted. “Despite effectively smuggling the package past the prison guards, the patient then accidentally pushed the package deeper into his nostril and mistakenly believed he had swallowed it. He remained unaware of the package’s presence until presented with the unusual histopathology report.”

    What’s A Rhinolith?

    According to a 2016 study about rhinoliths, the most common issues that sufferers experienced were “unilateral nasal obstruction and nasal foul-smelling discharge and various levels of nasal discharge, facial pain, nasal/oral malodor, or epistaxis.”

    During a routine follow-up months later, the man reported that his nasal issues had cleared up. Researchers believe that this is the first reported case of a “prison-acquired marijuana-based rhinolith.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Hurricane Dorian Washes Drugs Ashore, Officials Warn

    Hurricane Dorian Washes Drugs Ashore, Officials Warn

    Kilos of cocaine have been found on Florida beaches in Hurricane Dorian’s wake. 

    As Hurricane Dorian rips through the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern coast of the United States, it is washing ashore shipments of cocaine that were meant to be smuggled into the country, officials say. 

    Cocaine On Cocoa Beach

    In Cocoa Beach, Florida, one storm watcher found a package with 15 kilos of cocaine worth an estimated $300,000 on Friday (Aug. 30). A few days later, one brick of cocaine was found on a beach in Melbourne, Florida, about a half hour away from Cocoa Beach. That package of drugs was labeled “dinamitar,” which means “dynamite” in Spanish.

    Both were found while the hurricane was still well offshore, and police warned that more drugs could wash up in the coming week as Dorian passes. 

    “There is a possibility that more will come onshore. Especially now with these conditions. It could be coming from anywhere,” said Manny Hernandez, a spokesman for the Cocoa Beach Police Department, according to USA Today. 

    Alert Authorities

    Hernandez said that people who find suspected drugs or other suspicious packages should not touch them, and should immediately alert authorities. 

    “We’re telling people to be cautious and not to grab or handle it because if there is an opening, it can go into your pores and you can overdose,” he said. 

    The Cocoa Beach Police Department initially responded to the call about the 15 kilos of cocaine, and later got federal customs agents involved in the investigation. 

    It’s not wholly unusual for cocaine and other drugs to wash up on Florida’s shores, since many drug cartels smuggle products into the U.S. using boats and submarines. In January of this year a fisherman in the Florida Keys found a bale of cocaine bobbing in the water when he returned to the dock after a day of fishing. The package contained about 20 kilos of cocaine, worth half a million dollars. 

    In June, two fishermen in South Carolina snagged an even bigger catch, when they found a bundle of cocaine worth $1 million. 

    “We trolled past it. Every time we passed it we caught a fish,” one of the men told WCSC. A school of mahi-mahi fish were swimming alongside the bundle. The North Charleston Police Department met the men at the pier and estimated the value of the cocaine. Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Phillip VanderWeit said that finding drugs that far north of fairly uncommon. 

    “It definitely doesn’t happen off the Charleston coast every day,” he said. “It’s a bit more common further south, whether in the Caribbean or the south Pacific.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Man Crashed Into Cop Cars While Driving With 600 Pounds Of Meth

    Man Crashed Into Cop Cars While Driving With 600 Pounds Of Meth

    Cops nabbed $140 million worth of meth after the driver smashed into their cars outside the station.

    If you ever feel like you’re having a rough Monday morning, spare a thought for this meth trafficker in Australia who got busted with $140 million (USD) of meth after he absolutely smashed his drug transport van into a parked police car.

    It was 10:30 in the morning on Monday, July 22, when New South Wales police officers heard a loud crash outside their building. Upon investigation, the officers discovered two of their cars smashed and the perpetrator nowhere in sight.

    “They checked the CCTV, they spoke to witnesses, and they identified a white Toyota Hiace van had collided with the vehicles at the front of the police station and taken off up Ethel Street, Eastwood,” said Detective Inspector Glyn Baker at a press conference.

    Meth Smuggling

    At around 11:30 AM, a senior officer spotted the car and pulled it over. 

    “The inspector pulled the vehicle over, engaged the driver in conversation,” reported Det. Insp. Baker. “The vehicle was searched and remarkably inside that vehicle was 13 boxes, in each box contained 21 one kilogram bags of methamphetamine, commonly referred to as ice.”

    In all, the authorities discovered about 273 kilograms (600 pounds) of meth, with an estimated street value of about $200 million AUD (or $140 million USD).

    The driver, the vehicle, and the drugs were all taken down to the police station.

    “The man was subsequently charged with supplied large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs, not giving his particulars, and obviously traffic offenses in relation to crashing into the police vehicles at the front of Eastwood Police Station,” said Det. Insp. Baker.

    Though they have their collar and seized the drugs, the case isn’t closed yet. Police are asking citizens for their help in tracking down exactly what the man had been doing with the drugs.

    “Anyone who may have dash cam footage or any CCTV footage,” said Det. Insp. Baker. “What we’d like to account for is the time between 10:30am on Monday—yesterday—morning, through to about 11:30 when the inspector stopped the vehicle on Church Street.”

    Despite the runaround the driver gave authorities, Det. Insp. Baker couldn’t help but sympathize with the man.

    “This 26-year-old Berala man has certainly had a very, very bad day,” he said. “Crashing into police vehicles with that amount of drugs on board is somewhat unheard of and it is an exceptional set of circumstances.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Man Smuggled Pound Of Cocaine In "Curious" Toupee

    Man Smuggled Pound Of Cocaine In "Curious" Toupee

    The 65-year-old Colombian man was charged with a “crime against public health.” 

    Sometimes, the ingenuity of drug smugglers is downright awe-inspiring. In other instances, their efforts are simply laughable. 

    The latter was the case in Spain last month, when authorities arrested a man traveling from Colombia who was trying to smuggle half a kilo of cocaine beneath an ill-fitting hair piece. 

    Sporting a curious bump beneath his toupee, border officials said that the man tried to hide the bad wig with a hat, but there was no covering up his nervousness when he went through a border checkpoint. 

    “His toupee was very curious, but the agents there have a lot of expertise and they pay attention to people’s attitude,” the National Police told La Vanguardia, according to NPR. “His nervousness was very noticeable as he was about to pass the security checkpoint.”

    Authorities On Alert

    Because of the man’s demeanor authorities became suspicious, especially once they gave his hairstyle a second glance. When they asked him to remove his hairpiece they found 503 grams of cocaine, said to be worth about $33,000 USD. 

    This week, Spanish authorities released a picture of the man on Twitter, with his hairpiece in place, and another showing the bundle of cocaine on his head without the hairpiece. 

    The 65-year-old Colombian man was not identified when the story hit the news. He was charged in Spanish courts with “a crime against public health” and remains in custody, the Spanish National Police said.

    Other Smugglers

    Earlier this summer Spanish authorities intercepted another notable drug-smuggling attempt. In that case, an air force official traveling with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was found to have 86 pounds of cocaine in his suitcase aboard the presidential plane.

    The drugs were discovered when the presidential plane stopped over in Spain while en route to the G20 economic summit in Japan. 

    The official, Sgt. Manoel Silva Rodrigues, was taken into custody in Spain, and Bolsonaro immediately went on Twitter to speak out about the incident, according to The New York Times. 

    “We won’t tolerate this type of disrespect to our nation!” said the president, who has taken a tough-on-drugs stance. 

    Still, Brazilian opposition leader Marcelo Freixo took the opportunity to criticize Bolsonaro’s approach to controlling the drug trade. 

    “The cocaine case in the presidential plane shows the error of pursuing a war on drugs in Brazilian favelas, which victimizes the poor,” he wrote on Twitter. “Trafficking of arms and drugs generates fortunes the world over and involves powerful people. It’s necessary to follow the money and pursue those at the top.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Fishermen Reel In $1 Million In Cocaine

    Fishermen Reel In $1 Million In Cocaine

    “We trolled past it. Every time we passed it we caught a fish,” one of the fishermen said.

    A pair of South Carolina fishermen had the catch of a lifetime on Sunday when they reeled in a bundle of cocaine worth about $1 million. 

    “We trolled past it. Every time we passed it we caught a fish,” one of the men told WCSC. In fact, a school of mahi-mahi, a popular catch with the fishermen, were swimming around the bundle.

    Before they packed up their rods and reels for the day, the duo decided to see what was in the package. They managed to snag the floating debris and pull it toward their boat. 

    When they saw the drugs inside, they contacted the Coast Guard. The agency alerted the North Charleston Police Department, which had officers meet the fishermen back at their marina. The police officers estimated that the bundle contained 30 to 50 kilos of cocaine, estimated to be worth $750,000 to $1 million, according to Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Phillip VanderWeit. 

    VanderWeit said that the boat was about 70 miles southeast of Charleston, an area where such a significant drug find is not common. 

    “It definitely doesn’t happen off the Charleston coast every day,” he said. “It’s a bit more common further south, whether in the Caribbean or the south Pacific.”

    Authorities will investigate the origins of the drugs. 

    In January, a fisherman in the Florida Keys also found a bale of cocaine, although that catch only had an estimated worth of $500,000, according to authorities. In that case, the drugs were floating beneath the dock when the man returned from a day of fishing. 

    In December 2017, the Coast Guard rescued a sea turtle that had become ensnared in more than 1,800 pounds of cocaine, worth about $53 million. 

    “After a period of lengthy questioning, it was determined the turtle did not have any useful information. We released him on his own recognizance after he agreed not to return to these waters again. #turtlesmuggler,” the agency tweeted at the time. 

    They then followed up with a more serious tweet about the prevalence of cocaine coming into the United States. 

    “In all seriousness, we love our sea creatures and do everything we can to help them when we see them in distressed situations. Additionally, during this patrol nearly seven tons of illicit narcotics with a street value over $135 million was confiscated.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • California Jail Guards Get Narcan After Possible Fentanyl Exposure

    California Jail Guards Get Narcan After Possible Fentanyl Exposure

    This is not the first time that an officer has been hospitalized or received Narcan after being exposed to fentanyl.

    Two guards at a California jail were given Narcan and taken to the hospital after they began showing symptoms of opioid exposure. 

    According to SF Gate, guards at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin searched a woman who was being booked in the jail. They found a black substance on the woman, but could not identify the drug. They examined it closely trying to discern what type of drug it was, while wearing gloves. 

    However, after the examination was complete, one officer began feeling sick and showing signs of confusion. Soon after, the other officer complained of sickness as well. The staff at the jail suspected that the pair had been exposed to an opioid, and administered Narcan before transporting them to the hospital. 

    First responders and law enforcement officials have been warned about the dangers of accidental fentanyl overdose, and this is not the first time that an officer has been hospitalized or received Narcan after being exposed to the drugs. 

    “The presence of [synthetic opioids] poses a significant threat to first responders and law enforcement personnel who may come in contact with this substance. In any situation where any fentanyl-related substance, such as carfentanil, might be present, law enforcement should carefully follow safety protocols to avoid accidental exposure,” the Drug Enforcement Administration said in an officer safety alert issued last year. 

    However, some research indicates that it is unlikely that first responders or others could accidentally overdose on even the most powerful synthetic opioids by touching the substance. 

    “I would say it’s extraordinarily improbable that a first responder would be poisoned by an ultra-potent opioid,” Dr. David Juurlink, a researcher at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, told The New York Times. “I don’t say it can’t happen. But for it to happen would require extraordinary circumstances, and those extraordinary circumstances would be very hard to achieve.”

    According to Vox, reports have shown that fentanyl is not easily absorbed through the skin, so accidental overdose is very unlikely. In one video by harm reduction advocate Chad Sabora, he tries to dispel this myth. 

    Some people believe that the reports of first responders being harmed by exposure to synthetic opioids can trigger a type of placebo effect. That may have been the case with Scottie Wightman, a Kentucky emergency medical technician who became unresponsive after one call. Wightman was treated with Narcan and was seemingly revived, but drug tests later showed there were no drugs in his system. 

    Jeremy S. Faust, an emergency room doctor in Boston, emphasized that first responders shouldn’t let fear of opioid exposure deter the care they give to the public. 

    “I want to tell first responders, Look, you’re safe,” he said. “You can touch these people. You can interact with them. You can go on and do the heroic lifesaving work that you do for anyone else.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Border Patrol Seize Nearly $1 Million In Cocaine Hidden In Tomatoes

    Border Patrol Seize Nearly $1 Million In Cocaine Hidden In Tomatoes

    The cocaine seizure was one of two major drug busts that happened at a Laredo port of entry last week. 

    Border patrol agents in Laredo, Texas had a productive weekend—seizing $3 million in drugs including more than $850,000 in cocaine that was being smuggled in a shipment of tomatoes. 

    “Securing the cargo environment is a critical mission for [Customs and Border Protection] and this weekend’s significant cocaine seizure underscores the need for our officers to stay ever-vigilant and aware of the narcotics threat while facilitating lawful commerce,” Albert Flores, the port director at Laredo Port of Entry told KTXS12 News.

    The Dallas Morning News reported that on Friday (March 1) an officer with CBP stopped a tractor trailer. When officials searched the truck, they found 111 packages of cocaine hidden in 44 packages. If they had been sold on the street, the drug could have raked in $857,500.

    On Saturday (March 2), officials at another bridge border crossing in Laredo stopped a man with an American passport who was driving through the crossing. In his vehicle they found 4 pounds of heroin and 120 pounds of methamphetamine, which were detected using drug-sniffing dogs. Those drugs had a street value of more than $2 million, officials said. 

    “I congratulate our frontline officers for their firm commitment to carry out the CBP mission and protect the public from illegal narcotics,” Flores said.

    President Trump has talked about how a border wall will stop the flow of narcotics into the United States. “Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl.”

    However, experts point out that most drugs are smuggled into the country via legal entry points, like the Port in Laredo. Because of this, experts have argued that increasing resources for Customs and Border Protection would do more to stop illegal drugs than a wall would. 

    “A wall alone cannot stop the flow of drugs into the United States,” Christopher Wilson, deputy director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars told Vox in 2017. 

    “If we’re talking about a broader increase in border security, there could be some—probably minor—implications for the overall numbers of drugs being trafficked. But history shows us that border enforcement has been much more effective at changing the when and where of drugs being brought into the United States rather than the overall amount of drugs being brought into the United States.”

    In addition, demand for the drugs mean that smugglers will always look for new and innovative ways to get them into the country, experts say. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Is Scanning Inmates' Mail To Stop the Spread Of Drugs Legal?

    Is Scanning Inmates' Mail To Stop the Spread Of Drugs Legal?

    The ACLU is challenging a Philadelphia prison mail policy that they allege violates attorney-client privilege and inmates right to privacy.

    A trial is underway in Pennsylvania to decide whether a new prison policy involving the opening and scanning of inmates’ mail to prevent drug smuggling is legal. State prisons began the new mail procedure in 2018 after a number of inmates and staff were hospitalized from synthetic cannabinoid exposure.

    Dangerous drugs like K2 were being smuggled into prisons after being mixed with ink or used to coat letter paper. The substances are colorless and odorless, making them difficult or impossible to detect through normal means.

    According to officials, more than 50 prison staff members and 33 inmates were hospitalized over a period of three months in western and central Pennsylvania. Since the implementation of the new mail policy, the amount of synthetic cannabinoids entering the prisons has plummeted.

    However, the legality of the policy was challenged in October by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and arguments are now being heard by a judge. 

    The policy requires staff members to remove letters from friends, family, and legal counsel from envelopes, scan them, and pass along the copies to inmates. The originals are kept in a box for 45 days, at which point they can be destroyed.

    Lawyers are alleging that this procedure violates attorney-client privilege and inmate right to privacy. They argue that there is no way to prevent staff from reading letters containing legal strategy and other sensitive information, intentionally or not. 

    “The practices they’ve implemented are tremendously disruptive, and in fact are prohibiting a lot of lawyers from being able to use the mail to communicate with their clients,” said Pennsylvania ACLU legal director Vic Walczak.

    Many lawyers have therefore stopped sending their imprisoned clients anything in the mail and are having difficulty finding alternative methods to communicate privately with inmates.

    According to Leane Renee, assistant federal public defender for the U.S. Middle District Court, inmates are only allowed 15 minutes at a time on the phone and lawyers are not always allowed to bring documents into face-to-face meetings.

    Even if they are, legal teams are often located hours away from the prisons where their clients are held. This has reportedly caused a backlog in legal phone call requests that prisons can’t accommodate.

    At the same time, although the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has claimed that all documents are stored and disposed of properly in order to prevent privacy violations, there have been reports of “legal documents piled on desks or heaped into trash bags,” according to Philadelphia’s The Inquirer. 

    “We’ve gotten reports from dozens of lawyers who are involved in criminal appeals and civil issues, who can’t communicate with their clients, and these individuals’ cases are being harmed and delayed,” said Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project lawyer Alexandra Morgan-Kurtz.

    There have also been allegations of missing pages from legal packets and staff failing to use protective equipment while handling mail possibly contaminated with synthetic cannabinoids.

    The ACLU is not challenging the use of this new mail procedure when it comes to mail from friends, family, or anyone other than legal counsel.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Vet Sentenced For Surgically Implanting Puppies With Liquid Heroin

    Vet Sentenced For Surgically Implanting Puppies With Liquid Heroin

    The 39-year-old Colombian vet’s role in the puppy-implanting plot dates back to 2004.

    After a decade on the run and three years in federal custody, a Colombian veterinarian was hit with six years in prison for surgically implanting live puppies with liquid heroin in an effort to aid a South American drug-smuggling ring.

    Andres Lopez Elorez appeared in Brooklyn federal court last Friday for sentencing, months after pleading guilty and admitting he conspired to import heroin into the U.S.  

    “I have made mistakes,” he told the judge, according to The New York Times. “I know I cannot justify my actions.”

    Authorities hailed the outcome as a positive step in fighting the long-term rise in opioid overdoses.

    “Every dog has its day, and with today’s sentence, Elorez has been held responsible for the reprehensible use of his veterinary skills to conceal heroin inside puppies as part of a scheme to import dangerous narcotics into the United States,” said federal prosecutor Richard P. Donoghue, who apparently likes bad puns in his press releases. “This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and prosecute drug trafficking organizations, operating here and abroad, to reduce the availability of opioids and save American lives.” 

    The 39-year-old Colombian man’s role in the puppy-implanting plot dates back to 2004, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. In September of that year, Elorez leased a farm in Medellín, where he “secretly raised dogs” that he used to aid in his drug smuggling efforts. 

    Police raided the place on Jan. 1, 2005, and found 17 bags of liquid smack, including 10 already implanted in the pups. All told, the drugs weighed in at nearly three keys, according to the feds.

    Authorities surgically removed the dope, but three of the animals died from viruses they got after the operation. Twenty-two Colombian nationals were arrested in connection with the case the following year, according to NBC News.

    One of the dogs was adopted by an officer with the Colombian National Police and another—named Heroina—became a drug dog for the agency. 

    Elorez, meanwhile, went on the run. Police didn’t catch him until 2015, when he was arrested in Spain. Three years later, he was finally extradited to the U.S. to face charges.

    “Traffickers will go to great lengths,” DEA Special Agent in Charge James Hunt said at the time. “These guys are evil geniuses in ways to think and hide the drugs, secret them. This case was exceptionally heinous.” 

    After the 39-year-old finishes his sentence, he will be deported.

    View the original article at thefix.com