A Texas couple have been linked to the death of three school students from fentanyl and seven additional overdoses of children as young as 13, according to federal charging documents.
Luis Eduardo Navarrete, 21, and Magaly Mejia Cano, 29, appeared before a federal judge Monday in Dallas, charged with suppling drug dealers aged 14 to 16 the deadly narcotic to sell to high and middle school students, according to the Dallas Morning News.
“To deal fentanyl is to knowingly imperil lives. To deal fentanyl to minors — naive middle and high school students — is to shatter futures.
“These defendants’ alleged actions are simply despicable,” said US Attorney Leigha Simonton.
The child overdoses started in December and the most recent happened last Wednesday, when one minor died — prompting law enforcement to take decisive action.
R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton, Texas is just a short walk from the suspected drug dealer’s house house. It’s also where many of the teen drug dealers and drug users attend.Google Maps
A 14-year-old victim nearly died twice after taking an “M30”– fentanyl in pill form that can be either snorted or smoked — sold for $10 each, according to the Dallas paper.
The girl overdosed on Christmas Eve and was rushed to the hospital. A second incident in January left her with temporary paralysis.
The teen bought drugs both from classmates and directly from Navarrete’s house — just a short walk from R.L. Turner High School, which she attends.
Investigators placed the Dallas-area home under surveillance before arresting two people who lived inside.Google Maps
Undercover officers casing the house said they witnessed Navarrete hand a 16-year-old something, and that the boy snorted it in their front yard in January, according to the federal complaint.
It also claims that while drugs were being prepared in the house, Navarrete was fitted with an electronic monitoring device. The pair had used Instagram to communicate with their underaged drug dealers, who were all 14-16 years old, according to authorities. It is not known if any of the minor drug dealers will be charged in connection to the case.
Fentanyl has been called the “deadliest drug threat facing this country,” by the DEA.Drug Enforcement Agency
It’s possible the victims did not know they were taking fentanyl, as the synthetic opioid is pressed into tablets to look like like prescription pills, and sold as fake versions of OxyContin, Percocet or Xanax. Six out of 10 black market pills now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl, which can be as little as two milligrams, according to the DEA.
Navarette and Mejia Cano are awaiting trial charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in federal prison each.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2023/02/06/texas-couple-allegedly-sold-fentanyl-causing-10-teen-ods-feds/