Carrollton couple allegedly sold drugs laced with fentanyl to teens
CARROLLTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – A Carrollton couple is facing federal charges in a string of student overdoses and deaths.
Investigators said Luis Navarrete and Magaly Cano were at the head of a fentanyl ring, which led to at least 10 student overdoses and three deaths. The victims were middle and high schoolers.
Parents of students in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD are concerned.
"It's scary because you never know who is handing your child a piece of candy, you never know who is handing your child something that can hurt them any children, not just my children, it's scary period and the fact that it's in the school systems more than anything is ridiculous," said Dionna Mack.
Mack told CBS 11, she gets regular emails from the school district regarding the fentanyl crisis and speaks to her young children about the dangers of the drug.
"All we can do is talk to our kids and make sure that we instill in them at home way when they come out in public they know what to look out for," added Mack.
Doctors said they are seeing an increase in fentanyl overdoses.
Newly-unsealed court records show back in early January, federal investigators started watching Navarrete and Cano's home near R.L. Turner High School.
Investigators said they were selling fake OxyContin and Percocet laced with fentanyl, using at least eight students between the ages of 14 and 16 to distribute the drugs to other students.
Now, police have linked the couple to overdoses involving nine students as young as 13.
"We used to make mistakes when we were young and dumb but those mistakes are deadly now," Dr. Julie Pittman said.
Dr. Pittman, Nexus Recovery Center's chief clinical officer, said in the last year she's seen a dramatic increase in drugs laced with fentanyl in North Texas.
"Even if you thought you were getting OxyCodone or HydroCodone...but also it's in the Xanax. It's in what you think is Klonopin. It's also in the meth. It's in the crack. It's in the powder cocaine and it's in the marijuana," she said.
She said this makes the drugs more addictive and dangerous and as we see more overdoses happening in our communities, it's good to know, "The treatment for opioid overdose is oxygen. So mouth to mouth - they just need oxygen until EMS gets there."
She said having Narcan on hand is also a good idea.
As for Navarrete and Cano, they're now accused with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. They made their first appearance in a federal court on Monday and if convicted, they could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD has not responded to our questions about this investigation. However, the school district has a scheduled meeting with parents for Feb. 8.
Click here for more resources from Nexus Recovery Center.
