Fentanyl on the rise in Atlanta, drugs deadlier and more powerful

DEA Special Agent Chuvalo Truesdell said he had seen the drug trafficking in Atlanta develop and grow over the past 30 years due to its strategic location.

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Drug Enforcement Agency said Atlanta has become a major center for drug trafficking on the east coast.


“Atlanta is a big city with lots of activity, movement and transportation, so transportation infrastructure is extremely important,” said Truesdell. “But most importantly, Atlanta is equidistant between the US-Mexico border, and about 1,100 miles away. So it’s between there and the east coast, which is where a lot of drug customers do.”

Truesdell said drug traffickers adapted in Atlanta and had the ability to collect coins “to hide in sight”.

“They’re assimilated, their foot soldiers, and pretty much entrusted them to do their business, so they’re pretty solid here now,” he said.

Truesdell said drug traffickers have branched out and are now selling various types of modified drugs.

“They are what we call drug traffickers. They not only sell fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, but also marijuana, all the illegal drugs imaginable, cocaine,” he said.

Truesdell said fentanyl in particular had been shown to be fatal on the streets of Atlanta, and there had recently been a surge in fentanyl-related overdoses. He told the story of a drug dealer who tried to pamper himself but didn’t know the cocaine was fentanyl and he died.

Opioid overdose deaths in the state have increased rapidly since 2010, according to the Georgian Ministry of Health. Government data also shows that illicit opioids like heroin and fentanyl have also increased in deaths from opioid overdose since 2013.

The Atlanta DEA said a quarter of the city’s counterfeit pills analyzed contained a lethal dose of fentanyl.

What is fentanyl?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pharmaceutical grade fentanyl is a synthetic opioid approved for the treatment of severe pain. The CDC said it was 50 to 100 times more effective than morphine. Truesdell said fentanyl is being modified and squeezed to make the drug stronger.

Truesdell also said another type of fentanyl called carfentanyl is often used to calm large mammals like rhinos and elephants and is also common in Atlanta. He estimated that it is 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.

Where does it come from?

According to Atlanta’s DEA, fentanyl comes from the opioid family that uses raw materials sourced from parts of Mexico and China. Because of Atlanta’s proximity to the US-Mexico border and the east coast, drugs are then transported into the region by trucks and utility vehicles.

How Much Is Deadly?

According to the Atlanta DEA, 1 in 4 counterfeit pills found in the Atlanta drug trade is estimated to contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. Truesdell said a lethal dose can vary from person to person, but it estimates 2 milligrams, which is comparable to two ends of a pencil or a tiny mosquito.

How are we going?

Truesdell said it is increasingly important for people to have healthy conversations and keep up-to-date on drugs. He said these street drugs were synonymous with a “weapon of mass destruction” and could cause great harm to families and communities.

“We’re really ringing the alarm bell and trying to let people know that it’s a very risky endeavor first and foremost,” said Truesdell. “Unless you get prescribed pills from a trusted doctor, it is certainly a risky endeavor.” “”

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