MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st December, 2022) Mexican drug cartels are flooding the US state of Texas with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, disguised as prescribed medicines and candies, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Wednesday.
"Mexican drug cartels are strategically flooding our communities with deadly fentanyl disguised as prescription medicine and even candy. Together, we can protect our children and loved ones from making a deadly decision," Abbott said on Twitter.
In early November, Abbott said that Texas law enforcement has seized over 346 million doses of fentanyl, "enough to kill every American," since the launch of Operation Lone Star in March 2021 to tackle illegal migration and drug trafficking.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. The drug is typically used to treat patients with severe pain or manage pain after surgery, or treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids. Fentanyl is believed to be a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States.
