The Rise of New Deadly Drug Mixtures
The landscape of drug law enforcement changes often as new drug threats continuously emerge throughout the world. Domestic and international drug traffickers cleverly attempt to conceal their methods, hindering the ability to identify the drugs they are distributing nationwide. Many of these emerging deadly drugs are so new, they are not easily identified by officers in the field.
Therein lies the problem for narcotic investigators. In recent times, the flood of new drugs have included new fentanyl analogs. To increase the demand by users, the length of the high, and profits for the drug cartels, their fentanyl is now mixed with cocaine, methamphetamine, and xylazine, also known as ‘Tranq.’
The Dangers of Xylazine
There has been a dramatic increase of drug evidence seized nationwide which contains both fentanyl and xylazine. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Xylazine related overdose deaths have increased as much as 1,127% in some regions of the country. In areas less affected by Xylazine, overdoses have still risen by 100-500%.1
Xylazine, a sedative and analgesic drug commonly used in veterinary medicine, has been increasingly used illegally in the United States, particularly in combination with opioids. Its potency, low cost, and availability have made it an attractive option for drug users seeking a cheap high. Xylazine is particularly dangerous because naloxone (commonly known as the brand name, Narcan), which is administered in opioid overdoses, is not effective in reversing Xylazine’s impact on one’s breathing.
A Technological Solution for Investigators
The lack of appropriate technology to identify these new drug threats in the field is a challenge for law enforcement. Without the ability to identify seized drugs real-time, the investigations are often stalled in their tracks until lab results are returned from a forensic laboratory.
The MX908 portable mass spectrometer helps investigators meet the challenges they face daily with the identification of new drugs, such as xylazine, in the field. With the ability to identify drugs at trace/nanogram levels, the MX908 provides coverage of low concentration mixtures of powerful synthetics such as xylazine and 2000+ fentanyl analogs in cutting agents or other, more common, drugs to provide investigators with an important tool to meets today’s counter-drug challenges.
Blog Authors:
Ernie Batista – DEA ASAC (Retired), Counter-Narcotic Consultant
Joe Gallo – Director of Product Management and Marketing
References
How can I secure grant funding to justify and purchase an MX908?
Grant assistance includes use of opioid settlement funding, locally available grants, as well as state and federal grants.