LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Trump Administration imposing tariffs to fight the flow of fentanyl into the US calling it a national crisis. That includes China where the drug is made in labs and Mexico and Canada where it comes across the border but how big of an issue is it in Las Vegas? Metro says it is something officers face every day.
Metro shared video from an officer’s body camera of one example. It was 6:30 a.m. on an August morning when officers responded to an overdose call at a motel on the Strip. “What drugs did they take, what drugs?,” and officer questioned.
“I think fentanyl,” a man responded. Three people had overdosed. Officers were able to give all three a life-saving dose of Narcan.
“For us, fentanyl is a is a big problem. Nevada had a 20% increase…last year,” reported Lieutenant Jorge Marty with Metro’s Narcotics Section. Lt. Marty says fentanyl exploded in Vegas about five years ago. Last year alone, 500 overdose deaths, more than one every day, were fentanyl related. As it is so often laced with other drugs, exact numbers are hard to determine.
“More often than not, we’re going to see it with something else, right? That’s what makes it so hard to track, because it’s no longer just pure fentanyl,” Lt. Marty revealed. That’s also what makes it so dangerous. People think they are taking a drug like cocaine, but it can be laced with fentanyl and lead to an overdose. Now every Metro patrol officer, about 1,800 of them, carry Narcan (an overdose reversing drug) just as they would their service weapon but despite their best efforts, they are not able to save everyone. “It’s terrible. I’ve had…those conversations and I’ve had to meet these families and it’s gut wrenching…We want to go after the people that are selling. That’s really the one way to stop it,” Lt. Marty explained.
How is Metro doing that? They have an Overdose Response Team sent out to investigate overdoses and work backwards to track down the seller, racing against the clock to stop further deaths.
“If one pill kills someone. Then it can kill multiple people,” Lt. Marty contended. Last year, that team tracked down 15 dealers and charged them with murder. However, Metro says to prevents deaths before they happen, they need your help.
“As police, we can only be in so many places at once but the people that are living in these neighborhoods, they see it day in and day out… If they see something, call it in,” Lt. Marty requested. Not only is fentanyl killing teens to elderly adults, dealers are also connected to violent crimes so Metro says stopping the drug trafficking is important to prevent them.
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