Chihuahua.- The number of fentanyl pills insured in the state during the first quarter of 2023 practically doubles the number of seizures that were made in the same period of 2022, according to figures from the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE).
Between January and March of this year, they secured 450,000 pills, while last year in those same months, the insured doses were 295,682, reported the Prosecutor’s Office.
Fentanyl, a substance that is 50 times more powerful than heroin and a hundred times stronger than morphine, already has a presence in Chihuahua and up to now, the authority has documented the death of a young man due to its use, which is why the FGE has started a campaign to prevent its consumption.
Its use causes drowsiness, difficulty urinating, decreased heart rate and blood pressure, as well as muscle stiffness; it also produces depression, crying spells, suicidal ideation, behavioral changes, anxiety and hallucinations.
Most of the seizures have been in Ciudad Juárez, where there is a greater flow of this substance, both for its distribution in that town, and for crossing into the United States.
During 2022, between January and March, 44,500 fentanyl pills were seized, while the months with the highest seizures were September with 100,000 pills, as well as October with 77,960 doses withdrawn from the market.
According to the prosecutor’s report, the cost of a dose of fentanyl on the black market reaches up to 450 pesos per tablet, making it the most expensive drug.
In the capital of Chihuahua, the consumption of this substance has already caused the death of one person, a 20-year-old man, while a companion was severely poisoned, without the way in which they acquired these substances being defined so far.
During 2021, the number of insured pills was 26,276, the vast majority in Ciudad Juárez with 26,234; while in the state capital they secured only 42 pills during that year.
The authorities identify that the fentanyl seized in state territory comes from other states of the country, such as Sinaloa, Michoacán and Jalisco, since up to now they have not reported the discovery of clandestine laboratories in Chihuahua for the manufacture of this substance.
