The scourge of fentanyl continues with two alarming news stories in Minnesota reported recently. The stories were both on the online news service called “Bring Me the News.”
In the early hours of July 21, in Aitken County near Garrison, a 2-year-old child became unresponsive after drug exposure in a home. Family members in that home took the child into a car and called 911. When help arrived, the child was given CPR and naloxone and was airlifted to a hospital. Thankfully, the little victim is now listed in stable condition.
A search warrant was served at the home, where officers found another child, also 2 years old, in a crib, which was very close to a plate of crushed fentanyl. Five other children in that home were removed and placed in protective custody.
Charged was a 31-year-old for giving a false name to an officer, possession of a controlled substance, child endangerment and several outstanding warrants. Also arrested were two other adults, ages 27 and 47. The latter was nabbed for multiple outstanding drug warrants, harboring a fugitive from the law and violating conditions of release.
What would have happened to those children had it not been for the swift intervention of the Aitkin, Itasca and Mille Lacs Drug Task Force and the Lakes Area Drug Enforcement Division? And what will happen to those defenseless children if they are ever returned to the “care” of the adults living in that “home” (drug haven)?
On July 15, Rochester police and personnel from other law-enforcement agencies stopped a vehicle as part of a search warrant on Interstate 35.
The traffic stop discovered a false I.D., a loaded firearm, 80 rounds of ammunition, cocaine, marijuana and fake Oxycodone pills with fentanyl in them.
In the next three days, more search warrants were issued for vehicles and residences in Rochester where more narcotics were found, including 7.18 pounds of M30 Oxycodone pills testing positive for fentanyl. The total confiscated amounted to tens of thousands of pills.
So far, one man was arrested; more arrests are expected.
Most if not all the pills were transported from Arizona and almost certainly were mailed or smuggled from Mexico where drug cartels manufacture fentanyl pills with ingredients they obtain mostly from China.
Many in the U.S. Congress are coming to agreement that something must be done about this fentanyl epidemic. And that “something” includes putting those drug cartels and the ruthless people who operate them out of business one way or another, including through surreptitious military strikes, hopefully with the help of the Mexican government. That intervention sounds risky, yes, but something must be done, and the sooner the better. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people (including children!) are at stake.
Contact your legislators; urge them to act decisively against fentanyl makers and dealers.
