Volume - 94 Opioid Crisis: Part #2

"In effort to combat opioid epidemic, Philadelphia plans safe-injection sites".....According to officials in Philadelphia these safe injection sites will be medically supervised locations where users can inject heroin and other opioids without fear of arrest.  The walk-in sites would offer sterile needles and naloxone.  In addition to medical supervision, users would have access to treatment information.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! Why don't we also set-up sales locations for the criminals to sell to these users without fear of arrest.  GIVE ME A BREAK!!! What happen to ACCOUNTABILITY?  What happen to taking RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS?  What has happened to ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS?  PATHETIC!!!  The ongoing battle against the epidemic is costing Ohio between $6.6 and 8.8 billion per year according to Fox News which is roughly what the State spends on education for K through 12.

Late in 2017 a Girard, Ohio young Police Officer, Justin Leo, responding to a domestic call was shot and killed.  The worthless being that pulled the trigger two years previously was saved by an adjoining Police Department by giving him CPR and Narcan (Naloxone).  Unfortunately, there are many more examples of Police and Fire personnel that have been killed by users throughout the country.

So, besides the Liberal base that claims treatment is the answer to cure these unaccountable and irresponsible people to the point that all the 'noise' is for treatment facilities and safe injection sites, lets talk about the criminal aspect which for some unknown explanation is never discussed other than promotional news photo sessions for the political politicians. I'm not against Treatment for addicts nor facilities that provide care for those that truly seek help with their addition.  However, we have forgotten about the Source Criminal Element, the Main Source, the Traffickers, Border Security!!! The following are examples of this rampart illicit drug trade and arrests; however, it does not give the dispositions of these arrests which has been difficult to ascertain whether because of court delays, continuances or judgments of the courts.  Nevertheless, it is most important to understand that this is a Criminal Trade not any different than the Cartels, or the old Murder Inc. gang and must be fought and prosecuted the same as the illicit drug trade of  Cocaine or Heroin Trade.  This subject must not be confused or convoluted with the subject of legally produced opiates (prescription opioids)  a completely different subject  although there maybe a direct correlation between the effort to curtail the supply of prescription opioids and the street move to illicit drugs

Example 1: Over 100 charged in Columbiana County (Ohio) drug ring.  "More than 100 people are now facing more than 750 charges related to 'Operation Big Oak,' an investigation into a fentanyl, carfentanil, heroin and cocaine drug trafficking ring."  According to the investigators the heroin was coming from cartels in Mexico and the drug ring sold more than 1.4 million lethal doses of drugs in Columbiana County.  "That's enough fentanyl to kill not only every single person in Columbiana County but also every man, woman and child in the eleven neighboring counties."

Example 2:" Fentanyl bust nets enough drugs to wipe out population of Ohio."  Ohio has 11.6 million residents and, at 2 to 3 milligrams per lethal dose, the amount of fentanyl discovered in November Columbus, Ohio bust could potentially kill more than nine million people.

Example 3: Twelve from Pontiac Michigan drug gangs (Hustle Boys and Wall Street Gorillaz, arrested for selling deadly heroin-fentanyl mix.  These two gangs formed an alliance called the Team which sold the drugs in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties. Operating from two houses in Pontiac with a distribution network across the region, the group would alert customers about fresh supplies by texting them the work "fire." 

Example 4: According to an indictment unsealed on June 19, 2017 four individuals (San Diego) are charged with possession of 44.14 kilograms of fentanyl with the intent to distribute.  Drug traffickers use the pure fentanyl powder to increase the potency of heroin or to manufacture counterfeit opioid painkillers that resemble oxycodone.  Due to fentanyl's extreme potency which is up to 50 times stronger than average cut heroin, deaths from fentanyl laced heroin must be considered a homicide considering that just 3 milligrams is enough to kill an adult male.  The above seizure represents over 14 million lethal doses.

Example 5:  Police (Mexican) 'found'/pulled over a SUV containing a multi-drug shipment near Ensenada, located in the Mexican state of Baja California, containing several stuffed sacks filled with the synthetic opioid fentanyl, as well as 914 pounds of crystal meth, 88 pounds of cocaine and 18.5 pounds of heroin.

It has been stated by so called experts that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem and that "prevention, treatment and diversion" are the answers however we seem to have forgotten that the crime syndicates (as mentioned above) have no interest in this treatment method because they are making enormous amounts of money and are the profiteers of death therefore must be treated as such.  Distribution causing death is a Homicide and the investigation must include connecting the dots to make sure that after the undercover investigation/arrest the defendants are tried accordingly regardless of the complexities of putting such a case together.

The THIN BLUE LINE of Law enforcement now has become even thinner and resources must be put into place to finance the proper type of investigations as well as the proper safe guards for law enforcement people.  There is little argument that there must be the creation of partnerships that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies with the principal mission to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high level members of this type trafficking as well as the money laundering organizations and enterprises.