Teams Of Federal Agents Join Fight Against Fentanyl From Mexico

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

The Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego has an active team of investigators ⁠— known as Team 10 ⁠— with a mission of investigating deaths related to fentanyl overdoses. 

The squad ⁠— is also regarded as the Overdose Response Team ⁠— was formed in July 2018 in response to an increase in overdose deaths plaguing San Diego County as well as other parts of the country.

These DEA investigators are part of a multi-agency task force that also includes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego Police Department, California Department of Health Care Services, San Diego District Attorney’s Office and other police agencies in San Diego.

DEA personnel and the others work closely with San Diego County’s Medical Examiner’s Office to treat overdose deaths as criminal acts.

Shelly Howe is the Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego.

“To put it in perspective last year, DEA nationwide seized enough fentanyl for every American to have a lethal dose,” said Shelly Howe, San Diego DEA Special Agent in Charge.

Howe says her agents have been busy.

“They’re responding to overdose deaths where they can generate leads from, they can go after the source of supply of that victim. .. it’s such an important fight for us here at the DEA here in San Diego that I’ve tripled the amount of agents that we have in this group.”

Most of the fentanyl entering the U.S. is being manufactured in Mexico in cities such as Tijuana, directly south of San Diego, Howe says.

“It’s no secret where the fentanyl is coming from, the cartels are pushing it and it’s flooding our streets the demand is here,” she said.

Howe stated the drug especially is worrisome for many reasons, especially since no one can be sure where it was made or how much quality control went into its manufacturing.

She says one of the major issues lies in the inconsistency of the pills distributed on American streets where one can be a lot more potent than the next.

“It’s like a chocolate chip cookie, you and I split a chocolate chip cookie, yours has seven chocolate chips in it, mine has four, you’re taking a lethal dose, and it’s over for you.”

Howe offered another analogy, asking people to imagine 10 grains of salt; that much fentanyl is more than enough to kill someone.

“It’s killing our kids, it’s killing our loved ones,” said howe, adding that more children and teens are getting access to the drug since it’s easily available in schools and online where kids can order it by simply texting emojis with someone who sells narcotics.

According to DEA, this is a chart of emojis used by children and teens to order drugs online.

“Fentanyl is laced in everything, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, gummies and your young kids can order this while on the couch sitting next to you with emojis, it may seem innocent to you, but they are ordering illicit drugs right in front of you.”

A kit from a ‘Narcan Near Me’ tower at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Monday, Feb. 7, 2022. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health opened a Narcan Near Me tower at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional …

Howe says the DEA would like schools to have Narcan on hand, it’s a powerful medication that counters the effects of an overdose and as important as having an “active shooter” plan.

“Some schools are pushing back on that, we have an active shooter plan, every school has one, we don’t want an active shooter but yet we have a plan same thing with Narcan, we don’t want drug use in our schools, we don’t want overdose deaths in our schools, but we have to be prepared.”

Border Report