Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - While the fight against fentanyl and other opioids rages on in Erie County and across New York State, a new potential threat could be lurking with the emergence of "Rainbow Fentanyl".
The New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration announced on Tuesday the arrest of a woman on Sept. 28 with approximately 15,000 fentanyl pills that were seized as part of an ongoing investigation into a fentanyl trafficking organization. The pills, in various colors, were destined for distribution throughout New York City, and had been concealed in a LEGO box to deter law enforcement attention.
"This newly packaged poison, 'Rainbow Fentanyl', is the cartel's attempt to attract new customers and increase their profit margins. This is deliberate, this is calculated," said Frank Tarentino, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the DEA's New York Division. "This is treacherous deception to market 'Rainbow Fentanyl' like candy. This is every parent's worst nightmare, especially in the month of October as Halloween fast approaches."
A criminal complaint filed by the Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office has charged Latesha Bush of Trenton, New Jersey with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees. Bush was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Sept. 30, where bail was set at $25,000 cash, $150,000 insurance company bond and $100,000 partially secured surety bond.
The seizure of the "Rainbow Fentanyl" pills was the largest to date in New York City, signaling more widespread distribution of the dangerous colorful pills.
Fentanyl has become the most significant, most deadly, most addicting, most widely-accessible synthetic opioid and illicit drug, and it is everywhere. Fentanyl has become a top priority for the DEA across the country, especially with the stark number of deaths that keep increasing year-after-year.
"In 2021, a record number of Americans, nearly 108,000, died from overdose deaths and poisonings, 66% are related to overdose deaths involving fentanyl. That's 295 people every single day in the United States dying of an overdose death or a poisoning. That's one person every five minutes," Tarentino said. "40% of every single pill that we seize and tests in our laboratory contains a potential lethal dose of fentanyl. That's just two milligrams."
According to the DEA, the case in New York City highlights Mexican cartels' most recent tactics to attract the public while deceiving them about the lethal drugs. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) are mass-producing fentanyl pills in rainbow colors to not only brand their products, but use colors and dyes to mimic candy and/or legitimate prescription drugs.
"The Mexican cartels don't care if drug users live or die. As long as they can continue to expand their market and make money, the pot of gold is the only thing they care about. Not how many lives and with the consumption of rainbow pills," said Bridget Brennan, New York City's Special Narcotics Prosecutor. "My office and our partners are committed to disrupting high level narcotics trafficking by intercepting large loads of lethal drugs and drug proceeds. We do this to protect New Yorkers, and to save lives."
While the name "Rainbow Fentanyl" may make it seem like this is a new form of fentanyl, it is simply the same - both in pills and powder form. With cartels putting fentanyl in bright colors, and even in the form of prescription pills with legitimate markings, officials believe it looks, partly, like an attempt to market fentanyl as a party drug.
"In the past, we've seen stimulants such as MDMA, also known as ecstasy, marketed in bright, colorful, festive colors. And we know that fentanyl has already completely saturated the illegal market in our city, and it's often mixed with cocaine, with methamphetamine," Brennan said. "It's sold on social media sites, it's sold on the internet, it's sold on the street. It's everywhere. And it appears that the cartels are attempting to cultivate a market among young naïve buyers, who may have little or no tolerance for the opioid fentanyl, and a high likelihood of overdose if they use it. That is why it is so critical to spread the information about this deadly substance."
Especially with Halloween on the way and the threat of kids always receiving items in their Trick or Treat bags that may be harmful to their health, the DEA is warning parents and guardians to be on the lookout for anything that can be suspicious.
"Our message to parents, caregivers, educators, responsible adults is to continue to have conversations with your children. Continue to look at their social media applications and understand who they're communicating with, and what they're saying over their social media applications," Tarentino said. "Then also just to understand the dangers associated with anything. Any pill that does not come from a licensed pharmacist or a trusted doctor is extremely dangerous, illegal and potentially lethal."
While "Rainbow Fentanyl" has made its presence known downstate, especially with this recent seizure, its impact has yet to be recorded in Western New York, particularly Erie County. According to a member of the Erie County Narcotics Bureau, they have not been made aware of any reports of "Rainbow Fentanyl" in the county.
However, the number of opioid-related deaths continue to remain on the rise in the county, and it hasn't been due to normal instances of opioid-related deaths.
"We are seeing opioid deaths often with, like, cocaine that is spiked. The difference is the users are a totally different type of person," said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. "These individuals don't think they use drugs, they don't certainly consider themselves an addict or addicted to a substance. But what Cheryll [Moore] was telling me is some of these people are like, 'I need to do more cocaine than I ever did before.' Well, it's spiked with fentanyl, [you're] hooked to the fentanyl. It's not the cocaine, it's the fentanyl. And unfortunately, there are deaths."
One thing that Poloncarz and other members of the Erie County Opiate Epidemic Task Force have noticed when looking at the stats is the location of deaths in overdoses has changed. They're starting to notice a lot more people dying in municipalities like Clarence and Amherst, more of the wealthier suburbs.
"People are taking cocaine and it's like, 'Oh, it's not a drug. It's just partying and stuff like that.' We'd like to say one pill can kill - you take a counterfeit pill, it might be all fentanyl, it might be spiked with fentanyl, one counterfeit pill can kill - one line can kill, and we're seeing that," Poloncarz said. "People are dying in our community who should not be dead, but they died of an overdose because of fentanyl-spiked cocaine, or fake pills that they're buying on the black market, which are not the pills they say they're buying, but they're spiked with fentanyl. That's a serious concern, and that's why that information getting out about the rainbow fentanyl is very important for people to understand that."
Despite the work of the Erie County Opiate Epidemic Task Force and its efforts to fight the ongoing epidemic and protect the community, it has been frustrating to see the overdose death numbers continue to increase, especially in the "non-traditional" users of the drugs.
"That's why our Department of Health offers free Narcan, no questions asked. We'll mail it to you. It's why our Department of Health offers free fentanyl test strips. You can use a test strip to determine if your cocaine's got fentanyl in it," Poloncarz said. "I mean, we prefer people don't use cocaine, it's as simple as that. We prefer they don't use illegal drugs, but we know people will do it. So because of that, we offer these items that allow people to confirm does the prescription drug or whatever have fentanyl in it, because they have a test strip and then Narcan.
"All we can do is continue to get the information out, and hope the public understands the severity of it."
For anyone looking for more information regarding help with fentanyl, Narcan or treatment for opioid addiction, you're encouraged to visit the Erie County Department of Health's website, or you can call at (716) 858-7690.
Other services like the 24 Hour Crisis Hotline is also available at (716)-834-3131, or the 24 Hour Addiction Hotline at (716)-831-7007.
