Chula Vista Man Linked to Alpine Fentanyl Overdoses: Feds

A Chula Vista man’s actions led to the accidental overdoses of five people in Alpine, federal prosecutors said Thursday.Joel Rodriguez, 29, of Chula Vista pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Chula Vista Aims to Regulate Pot from Plant to Puff In the plea agreement, Rodriguez said he delivered fentanyl from Mexico to someone in San Diego who planned to distribute the narcotic.U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said the actions of Rodriguez led to the overdoses of five people in Alpine. Rainy Friday in San Diego’s Future The victims thought they were using cocaine when they overdosed in the first week of December, his office said in a news release. All survived.In fact, some were saved by a dose of Naloxone administered by first responders, officials said. The drug reverses the depression of the central nervous system and respiratory system caused by opioids. Imperial Beach, Chula Vista File Lawsuit Over Sewage Spills Sentencing for Rodriguez is scheduled for May 21.Fentanyl is a type of synthetic opioid that is 40 to 50 times more powerful than heroin.The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the number of federal seizures of fentanyl coming through the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego and Imperial counties increase by 700 percent over the last two years. As of October 2017, there were 54 seizures. In 2016, there were a total of 19 seizures. In 2015, there were six. Over the last seven years, there have been nearly 170 Fentanyl overdoses. The largest concentrations of deaths were in the North County and in the City of San Diego.Last year, there were 36 Fentanyl overdoses. Click here for a map of reported Fentanyl overdose cases.San Diego County offers a crisis line for alcohol and other drug abuse issues at (888) 724-7240.Photo Credit: NBC 7
Source: NBC San Diego