Thousands of kilos of meth, fentanyl, and counterfeit drugs are getting through the gaps left along the border — allowing drugs to reach our area
“Unfortunately, we’re seeing quantities of narcotics in the United States right now that we are actually seizing that is higher than I have seen throughout my career,” says Dante Sorianello, the assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in the San Antonio district.
The numbers at the Texas border tell the story. Resources, spread thin, to process thousands of migrants who keep coming to the U.S. On the Frontlines with the DEA, Investigative Reporter Yami Virgin reports thousands of kilos of meth, fentanyl, and counterfeit drugs are getting through the gaps left along the border — allowing drugs to reach our area.
This is the American dream for these migrants – getting to U.S. soil.
“My brothers and sisters in the Border Patrol have their hands full with the humanitarian mission that’s going on right now with the amount of people,” says Sorianello.
This is also the dream of criminal organizations since they’re banking on the effects of this surge of migrants, to impair the ability to keep drugs from being smuggled into the U.S.
“What I can tell you is that the DEA offices in Del Rio and Eagle Pass are extremely busy. And what is going on with narcotics trafficking is directly impacting San Antonio,” says Sorianello.
An opportunity has allowed the cartels to push bigger loads of meth and fentanyl than ever before according to Dante Sorianello who is in charge of the San Antonio area operation for the DEA, which includes Eagle Pass and Del Rio.
“In the last two weeks, we’ve seized over 170 kilograms of methamphetamine, in separate enforcement actions. Those are huge numbers. And what makes those even more interesting is, these are not twos and three kilograms adding up – one of these seizures was in excess of 100 kilograms of methamphetamine. Another one was an excess of 40 kilograms of methamphetamine,” says Sorianello.
What keeps Sorianello up at night is not the 170 kilos they confiscated. It’s the amounts that get through.
“Obviously we know that we are not getting it all.”
And then there are the counterfeit drugs which account for a large percentage of what is being seized. Sorianello says these counterfeit pills are cooked by people who don’t know what they are doing.
“Few weeks back we seized 75,000 fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills. So, you have these counterfeit pills that are out there containing fentanyl, which potentially if you take one, that is a hot load of fentanyl in that pill, you could overdose and die. Don’t do it,” says Sorianello.
Fake Adderall, fake Oxycodone, fake pills that look legitimate are hitting the streets killing more Americans in drug overdoses than ever before.
“If you’re not prescribed to take these pills by a physician, don’t do it. You are playing Russian roulette with your life,” says Sorianello.
In your neighborhoods, on the streets, Fox San Antonio and the DEA will keep you informed and safe.
Tags: Drug Importation Drug Trafficking New Drug Trends Opioid Crisis
