Fentanyl Prosecutions Demonstrate Seriousness of the Local Opioid Problem

An immigrant from Iraq is going to be checking out a U.S. federal prison after he was caught up in selling Fentanyl on San Antonio streets, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.

Mohammed Salihi pled guilty in U.S. District Court on Tuesday. Salihi came to this country after working as an interpreter for U.S. forces in Iraq.

Abigail Garza-Moore, who heads the Bexar County Opioid Task Force, says Fentanyl is becoming a very serious problem in the San Antonio area.

"We are having anywhere from 3 to 5 calls to EMS per day," she said.

Garza-Moore says the epidemic is hitting the city's hospitals and emergency services hard.

"Doctors are really monitoring who they are giving refills to, and we are starting to see more Fentanyl cases coming in."

She says patients who become addicted to opioids through legal prescriptions turn to street drugs when their doctor cuts them off, or the price of the prescription meds becomes too high.

This particular Fentanyl ring, which operated out of an apartment in the Medical Center area, used ingredients smuggled into the U.S. from China to manufacture pills on a massive scale for distribution all over San Antonio.  The ringleader pled guilty on Monday.


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