Multiple agencies continue investigating suspected fentanyl-related deaths in Cameron County
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First responders in the Rio Grande Valley are working overtime as the number of fentanyl related overdose calls come in.
According to Cameron County officials, 12 people have overdosed on what authorities believe were drugs tainted with fentanyl since last week. Eight of those overdoses have been fatal.
“It's been around for a while, but here in the Valley it's something new and we're learning as we go,” Cameron County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Alvaro Guerra said. “We've had the training already but we haven't been able to apply it on the field, but now we're doing so."
READ MORE: 12 overdoses, eight deaths reported in Cameron County fentanyl outbreak
Multiple law enforcement agencies are working against the clock to track down the supplier and the bad batch of drugs.
The sheriff's office is working three different overdose cases believed to be linked to fentanyl.
A 29-year-old man was found dead of a suspected fentanyl overdose Tuesday in Harlingen.
Cameron County Public Health Authority Dr. James Castillo said fentanyl is a powerful opioid that is a 100 times stronger than morphine.
RELATED STORY: Cameron County DA reports 8 total fentanyl overdoses, three deaths
“In an overdose, a person basically gets so sedated that they get to the point where they're not breathing enough to stay alive,” Castillo said.
Officials say most of the time people don't know they're taking fentanyl as it tends to get mixed with other drugs.
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