Last week, in response to a sudden increase of 79 opioid overdoses that resulted in nine deaths, law enforcement in Austin conducted a sting operation which resulted in the arrest of five individuals.
Police carried out a secret operation operation on May 2 which resulted in the apprehension of a person who was allegedly in possession of crack cocaine mixed with fentanyl, according to KXAN.
An undercover officer at Cash America Pawn at 9616 N. Lamar Blvd. offered a man $40 for crack cocaine. Kanady Arkangelo Rimijo, 32, supposedly provided the officer with two pieces of crack cocaine, as per police documents obtained by the outlet.
While searching Rimijo, officers reportedly discovered eight bags of marijuana. Both the crack cocaine and marijuana were found to contain fentanyl.
Rimijo was accused of Manufacturing and Delivering a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1B, which is a first-degree felony. His bond was set at $20,000, according to KXAN.
The other four individuals taken into custody were Marcellus Barron, 30, Gary Lewis, 50, Denise Horton, 47, and Ronnie Mims, 45.
Barron was charged with delivering a controlled substance, classified as a second-degree felony. Lewis faced a second-degree felony charge for possession of a controlled substance. Horton and Mims were both charged with second-degree felony possession of a controlled substance, and Mims faced a third-degree felony charge for possession of a controlled substance.
During a press conference on Monday, a spokesperson for the Austin Police Department stated that the arrests were the result of an investigation into the origin of the illegal drugs that led to the recent overdoses. The spokesperson emphasized that at this time, the suspects are not believed to be connected to any of the overdose victims.
“The aim of these operations was to identify the dealers and source of the drugs responsible for the overdoses,” added the spokesperson.
Police confiscated crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, all of which had been laced with fentanyl. The overdoses were reported across North Austin, Downtown, and South Austin.
Officials suspect that the recent overdoses are likely linked to the same source, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. They believe that a “new batch” of drugs, likely from the same source, has entered the area.
Law enforcement has not yet determined if there is any involvement of a drug cartel. The investigation is ongoing.
The fentanyl crisis has impacted the entire State of Texas.
Overdose fatalities in Texas have been increasing. In 2019, the drug overdose mortality rate was 10.8 per 100,000. As of 2021, it had risen to 16.8, according to the most recent data from the CDC.
In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott signed enacted four laws that classify fatal fentanyl overdoses as poisonings and impose stricter penalties for fentanyl-related offenses.
“The Dallas Police Department has seen a rise in cases involving fentanyl,” stated Jesse Carr, senior public information officer for the DPD, as reported by told The Dallas Express in April.
A fentanyl dealer from Dallas was sentenced sentenced to twenty years in federal prison after authorities found over 28,000 counterfeit pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl in the individual’s residence.
