The DEA warns of new mixtures containing fentanyl

Five people died yesterday in Ciudad Juárez after using drugs, while two more were hospitalized, the Chihuahua Prosecutor's Office confirmed. Investigations indicate they mixed cocaine with fentanyl , according to a forensic expert. Three of the suspects were between 20 and 21 years old.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) warns that the mixing of fentanyl with other "potent" narcotics is increasing, posing a challenge in combating this synthetic drug. Its annual report emphasizes: "This opiate is present in one in four cocaine samples..."

It details that "DEA laboratories report a downward trend in fentanyl purity, but this should not be interpreted as a decrease in the danger of the drug available on the streets."

He also explains that the mixing of fentanyl "with animal tranquilizers and other synthetic opioids is on the rise, leaving people unaware of the exact composition of what they consume or sell." For example, xylazine, an animal sedative, remains the primary adulterant (ahead of heroin) found in fentanyl powder. And its use in cutting fentanyl is becoming more widespread.

The report notes that a more potent anesthetic commonly used in dogs and cats, medetomidine, also began to be detected in tests.

Nelson Bruno de Almeida, a professor at the University of Granada (UdeG), points out that this drug can cause a coma upon consumption; even death if used for a long time and in high doses. “It affects the central nervous system and can cause respiratory depression, hallucinations, hypertension, or cardiorespiratory arrest. And death.”

The expert points out that it's 100 times stronger than morphine. Furthermore, its cost is low: depending on the dose, it ranges from 50 to 400 pesos (per pill or injection).

In Mexico, there is an upward trend in the use of this drug. According to the Ministry of Health, the "Fentanyl Demand and Supply Report: Overview and Current Situation" emphasizes that it is an opioid classified as a narcotic whose medical use is legal, regulated, and monitored. It is extremely useful for treating severe pain (such as cancer). However, in recent years, cases involving the use of illicitly manufactured fentanyl have been reported. "Due to its high addictive potential, low cost, and the relative ease of illicit production, small quantities of the psychoactive substance can produce large financial gains for organized crime groups."

According to the cases that have been treated in emergency rooms of the health system in Mexico, between 2013 and 2024, five thousand 901 people were treated related to the use of opioids, highlighting fentanyl , mainly in Baja California, Mexico City, Sinaloa , Chihuahua, Morelos , Oaxaca , Quintana Roo, Sinaloa , Sonora, Tamaulipas and Jalisco .

Regarding the DEA report, he added that the Sinaloa and Nueva Generación cartels are the "dominant threats" because they "maintain stable supply chains to obtain so-called precursors for fentanyl manufacturing, primarily from China and India."

John Gonzalez, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA in El Paso, denied that there is significant production within the United States because "it's cheaper to produce it in Mexico and ship it to the United States, where a pill can sell for one or two dollars."