A new study from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says that New York place, which is the biggest and most important place in the US, is also the state’s drug trafficking capital.
According to the study, 10% of all the fentanyl found in the U.S. in 2023 was in New York City. This made the city a major hub for the importation, sale, and use of many illegal drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and synthetic opioids.
The Crisis with Fentanyl
For the past few years, fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, has been the main drug that has killed people in the U.S. through overdose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that over 36,000 people will die from fentanyl-related overdoses in 2023, which is a 30% rise from 2018.
Fentanyl is often mixed with heroin, cocaine, or fake pills. This makes the drugs stronger and more profitable, but it also makes them more likely to kill. A lot of the time, drug users don’t know how much or if there is any fentanyl in their drugs, so they are more likely to overdose.
DEA’s Special Agent in Charge, Frank Tarantino, told CBS New York in an exclusive interview that the fentanyl problem is having a big impact on New York City.
“This has been the biggest drug threat we have ever seen in the history of DEA,” Tarantino says, referring to the fact that in 2023, over 4 million fake fentanyl pills and more than 500 kg of fentanyl powder were found. It’s the same as 37 million amounts that are deadly. Tarantino talks a lot about how scary it is that so many people between the ages of 18 and 45 die from fentanyl.
What the New Polydrug Threat Is
Besides fentanyl’s deadly effects, the DEA has noticed a worrying trend of polydrug use, which is when multiple drugs are mixed to make one stronger and more addicting.
Tarantino says that the DEA has found fentanyl mixed with cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and xylazine, which is a tranquilizer used in animals and can stop the heart from beating. “It’s scary because some of the antigens that will help save someone’s life from an overdose, like Narcan, is not going to work on xylazine,” Tarantino says.
The danger of polydrugs is new for law enforcement and public health officials, who now have to deal with the drug market being more complicated and unpredictable. The DEA works with local and state governments to break up drug supply lines and delivery networks, teach the public, and help drug users get treatment and stay away from drugs.
The Center for Drug Crime
Drug crime groups that work in the U.S. and other countries use New York City as a major hub. It is in a good spot, has a lot of people, and has a wide range of groups, which makes it a good market for drugs. The DEA says that about 80% of the heroin that comes into the U.S. from Mexico, Colombia, and other places is used in the city.
A lot of cocaine, methamphetamine, and other manufactured drugs also come from places like China, Canada, and the Dominican Republic.
The DEA says that the Bronx is the center of drug crime in the city. This is because it is close to the I-95 route, which connects the city to other East Coast states. Drug dealers store and package drugs in a lot of different places in the Bronx before sending them to different parts of the city or the country. Because of the DEA’s work in the Bronx, a lot of drugs have been seized and a lot of drug sellers and their friends have been arrested.
Conclusion
The biggest city in the United States, New York City, is named the state’s drug trade capital in a DEA study. The city is facing a serious fentanyl problem, which is causing a big rise in deaths from overdoses. The DEA talks about the rise of polydrug risks, which are situations where fentanyl is mixed with other drugs and causes new problems for law enforcement and public health.
New York City is a big hub for drug crime groups, especially in the Bronx. This shows how complicated the city’s role is in the drug market. The DEA is working hard to stop drug supply networks and teach people about the problems that come up with using more than one drug.