Fifteen people in the Houston area have died from nitazene overdoses during the last year, with the victims ranging in age from 17 to 59, according to the DEA, which says the drug is more potent than fentanyl.
A Houston-based agent with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said the region has seen an increase in the presence of nitazenes, synthetic opioids that are more potent than fentanyl.
Fifteen people in the Houston area have died from nitazene overdoses during the last year, with the victims ranging in age from 17 to 59, according to William Kimbell, the special agent in charge with the DEA’s Houston division.
“We started seeing it in the Houston area, our first seizure was in 2022,” he said. “And kind of the reason we’re talking now is over the last year we have seen a pretty dramatic increase in its usage in Houston and the surrounding area.”…