LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A deadly street drug known as “tranq” – or xylazine – is increasingly being mixed with fentanyl, according to Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez- Masto.
Xylazine is a tranquilizer used by veterinarians and ranchers for legitimate animal treatment. But Senator Cortez- Masto is now pushing bipartisan legislation to crack down on its illegal use – the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would classify the drug as a controlled substance, giving law enforcement more tools to stop illegal distribution.
“What I’ve seen and heard from our law enforcement is, I want to say in 2022, the fentanyl drugs that they were able to take off the streets of those drugs, the powder pill of fentanyl, 23% were cut with this tranquilizer this xylazine, and it is have a devastating effects we’ve seen deaths across the country,” said Sen. Cortez Masto.
The bill, if passed, would also require the DEA to track xylazine production to prevent it from entering the illicit drug market and ensure veterinarians and ranchers who need the drug for animal care still have access to it.
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