Source: CNN
Five people have been charged with drug offenses as part of an investigation into a surge in opioid overdoses in Austin, Texas, police said. All of the suspects “were arrested for either possession or delivery of crack cocaine which also tested positive for fentanyl,” the Austin Police Department said in a statement.
Gary Lewis, 50, and Denise Horton, 47, were charged with possession of fentanyl, a second-degree felony.
Ronnie Mims, 45, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony. Kanady Rimijo, 32, faces charges for delivery of a controlled substance, a first degree felony, given the quantity alleged. Marcellus Barron, 30, faces the same charge but in the second degree for a smaller alleged quantity.
Jail records show that Horton and Rimijo were released on $20,000 bond. The other three suspects were still jailed Tuesday morning.
An arrest warrant affidavit for Rimijo obtained by CNN affiliate KEYE said the arrest was part of an undercover operation “in an effort to purchase narcotics from distributors for criminal prosecution in response to the surge of opioid related overdoses in Austin.”
According to the warrant, an undercover police officer was able to purchase a substance believed to be crack cocaine and during a subsequent search in connection with Rimijo’s arrest, found bags of suspected marijuana. Both later tested positive for fentanyl.
The warrant says police received over 70 opioid overdose calls in a 72-hour period, with at least seven deaths suspected of being connected to overdoses. Those deaths remain under investigation.
The five suspects have not been charged in connection with the recent overdoses or deaths.
The suspects have not yet entered pleas and are due in court later this month. CNN reached out to their court-appointed attorneys Tuesday for comment.
Nationwide, the drug overdose crisis is killing tens of thousands of Americans each year. About 112,024 people died from a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending in May 2023, according to estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
That’s an increase of more than 2,700 drug overdose deaths compared to the previous year. About 109,261 people died from drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in May 2022.
The arrests come as federal officials recognize National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 7.
In recent years, many overdose deaths have been caused by opioids – drugs formulated to replicate the pain-reducing properties of opium.
Some opioids are legal, such as the prescription painkillers morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone – though they can be dangerous when abused. Other opioids are illegal, such as heroin and illicitly made fentanyl.