A Better East Texas: Fentanyl crisis

EAST TEXAS (KLTV/KTRE) - Sadly, we have spoken about the impact of illegal drugs in Texas regularly in this segment and the flow of illegal drugs from the border attracts headlines almost daily. But this problem has hit even closer to home for us, here in East Texas.

Recently a man from Mexico was pulled over on interstate 20 in our area. He gave consent to search his vehicle and officers found a suspicious container and in that container were 42-thousand pills in a package that weighed around 9 pounds. Those pills contained Fentanyl.

Think about what we know about Fentanyl, it only takes about 2 milligrams to be lethal – that is the weight of a mosquito.

And here is this guy from Mexico with nine pounds of this drug – 42 thousand pills.

And this is only one arrest in our area. How many have not stopped?

So, the border crisis continues to creep inland through our state and nation and regardless of the debate on immigration, there should be 100 percent consensus on dispatching more tools to stop the flow of illegal drugs.

Again, 42 thousand pills in this one stop. If our government – federal and state – can’t dedicate the resources to attack this issue and stop the flow before the product gets to interstate 20, then we have failed in the first job of protecting citizens.

Let’s hope for fewer headlines like this meaning the border is becoming more secure and that will make for a Better East Texas.

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