Fentanyl overdoses claim 4 lives in Harlingen in just 2 weeks

HARLINGEN — Authorities are investigating the biggest fentanyl outbreak to spread across the area, leading to what they believe have been eight deaths and six overdoses in the last two weeks, including two deaths and an overdose since early Tuesday morning.

In Harlingen, police are investigating six overdoses that have led to four deaths, Deputy Police Chief Alfredo Alvear told reporters during a press conference Tuesday.

“All these cases are still under investigation,” he said. “This has recently spiked. We’re trying to find a connection. This is new to us, especially down here.”

Investigators are attributing the deaths to what they believe to be fentanyl-tainted cocaine and crack cocaine.

“Usually it’s coke or crack,” Alvear said. “We’re trying to find out where it’s coming from.”

Dealers face homicide charges if victims die, he said, referring to fentanyl, an opiate 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Since early Tuesday morning, two victims died while a man remained in a hospital’s intensive care unit Tuesday afternoon. While authorities found two men passed out in a car outside a Motel 6 hotel at about 3:25 a.m. Tuesday, Cameron County sheriff’s deputies responded to a death on Wood Street later in the morning.

Meanwhile, Rene Perez, transport director with the South Texas Emergency Care Foundation, is urging residents to administer narcan, an over-the-counter medication, to fentanyl overdose victims to help resuscitate them.

“We’re seeing people dying,” he said. “We want to make sure everybody is taking precautions.”

Since Oct. 2, ambulances have responded to 12 overdoses and eight deaths, Perez said.

Technicians have administered narcan to resuscitate 12 overdose victims, he said.

“We want to make sure the school district is aware so it doesn’t get into the school,” Perez told reporters, referring to the fentanyl outbreak.

During the press conference, Mayor Norma Sepulveda said officials are trying to bring awareness to the fentanyl outbreak spreading into the area.

“We’re here today to spread awareness,” she told reporters. “It’s important to be aware and be cautious. Once you make a choice to take drugs, there are consequences.”

Before the press conference, Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz described the area’s exploding fentanyl outbreak as unprecedented.

“It could get worse,” he said in an interview. “It’s clear there’s a bad batch or batches of tainted cocaine in the Harlingen area. They’re working on trying to find the source of the cocaine.”

Saenz described fentanyl as a highly powerful deadly drug.

“At some point, people have to be responsible for their own well-being,” he said.