fentanyl

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Alleged Affair Adds to Trial Trouble for Kouri Richins

35-year-old author accused of killing husband Eric Richins with dose of fentanyl

(Newser) - A murder trial is set to begin Monday for a Utah mother of three who published a children's book about grief after her husband's death and was later accused of killing him . Kouri Richins, 35, faces a slew of felony charges for allegedly killing her husband, Eric Richins,...

Historic Cocaine Boom Has Lethal Consequences

Economists link a Colombian coca resurgence to rising US overdose deaths

(Newser) - Cocaine is staging a record-breaking global comeback. NPR reports that after years of decline, the world is now experiencing a historic boom in cocaine supply—one that researchers say has cut prices and fueled thousands of additional overdose deaths in the US. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime...

Ohio Woman Gets Four Life Terms for Men's Murders

Sex worker Rebecca Auborn fatally drugged four victims

(Newser) - An Ohio sex worker who fatally drugged four men will likely spend the rest of her life behind bars. Rebecca Auborn, 35, was sentenced this week in Columbus to four consecutive life terms for killing the men between late 2022 and mid-2023, reports the New York Times . She won't...

With Latest US Boat Strike, Total Death Toll Nears 150

US Southern Command says it hit vessel in eastern Pacific on Friday, killing 3

(Newser) - The US military on Friday said that it has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. US Southern Command said on social media that the boat "was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged...

Report: US Pushing to Have Troops in Mexico

Sheinbaum resists Trump's push for joint raids on fentanyl labs

(Newser) - Washington is leaning hard on Mexico to let American forces cross the border to hit fentanyl labs—despite President Claudia Sheinbaum's repeated refusals, reports the New York Times . US officials are pushing a plan that would send either Special Operations troops or CIA officers out on raids alongside Mexican...

China's Fentanyl Crackdown Tied to Drop in US Overdoses

'This demonstrates how influential China can be and how much they can help us—or hurt us'

(Newser) - Fentanyl deaths have been dropping sharply in the US over the last few years, and a new study suggests that China is a big reason. The study in Science points to a "major disruption in the illicit fentanyl trade" that led to a steep drop in fatal overdoses beginning...

Deaths in US 'Drug Boat' Strikes Hit 99

Latest lethal kinetic strike targets alleged narco-trafficking vessel in Pacific

(Newser) - The Pentagon says a suspected drug-trafficking boat moving through the eastern Pacific was the latest target in a string of lethal US strikes, NBC News reports. US Southern Command on Wednesday described the operation as "a lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel it says was run by a "...

Trump's 2025 Executive Orders Outnumber Total of First Term

President is up to 221, but his policies may be more vulnerable to reversal

(Newser) - In examining how President Trump is pushing through his agenda in a second term, the Washington Post reveals a remarkable stat: Trump already has signed 221 executive orders, which eclipses the 220 he signed throughout the entire four years of his first presidency. For recent context, Joe Biden signed 162...

Trump Defines Illicit Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

Executive order targets traffickers' assets and aims to boost federal fentanyl prosecutions

(Newser) - Fentanyl just got bumped into the same legal category as chemical weapons. President Trump on Monday signed an executive order labeling illicit fentanyl and its main precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction, saying in the Oval Office that "no bomb does what this is doing." The move,...

Son of 'El Chapo' Changes Plea in Chicago Court

Joaquin Guzman Lopez was appearing at a status hearing in the drug trafficking case against him

(Newser) - Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, pleaded guilty in a US federal court on Monday to drug trafficking charges. The plea was entered during what was supposed to be a status hearing in Chicago, according to court records. Guzman Lopez, one of...

Lawyer Charged With Trying to Kill Her Husband With Fentanyl

A witness in the Alabama case is accused of swallowing evidence

(Newser) - A 74-year-old Alabama attorney is accused of repeatedly trying to fatally poison her husband with fentanyl, according to newly released court documents. Sara Baker of Cullman was arrested Tuesday night and faces 11 felony charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, three counts of attempted murder, domestic violence, elder abuse, and...

5 Arrested in Death of De Niro's Grandson

Suspects are accused of selling fentanyl-laced pills via social media

(Newser) - Five people have been arrested in connection with the fatal overdose of Robert De Niro's grandson, Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, who died last July at age 19. Federal prosecutors say the suspects are accused of distributing counterfeit Xanax pills laced with fentanyl throughout New York City and Long Island, allegedly...

Wanted in US and Mexico, 'Brother Wang' Nabbed in Cuba

Alleged money launderer, drug trafficker Zhi Dong Zhang was captured after global manhunt

(Newser) - A suspected Chinese fentanyl trafficker accused of running a global money-laundering operation and wanted by both the US and Mexico has been arrested in Cuba after fleeing house arrest in Mexico, officials confirmed Wednesday. The suspect, Zhi Dong Zhang—aka "Brother Wang"—is alleged to have collaborated with...

Her Alleged Scheme: Tease Sex and Drugs, Then Rob and Kill

Prosecutors say 3 men died at Tabitha Bundrick's hands after drug-fueled robberies

(Newser) - A New York City woman is facing murder charges after prosecutors say she lured men with promises of sex and drugs, then robbed them and left them to die. Tabitha Bundrick, already serving a 13-year federal sentence for narcotics offenses tied to the same deaths, appeared in New York...

Colombia's President Slams US Boat Strikes as 'Murder'

Petro demands answers as US strikes spark legal and ethical debate

(Newser) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro has labeled recent US airstrikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean as an "act of tyranny," raising pointed questions about their legality and human cost. In a BBC interview , Petro argued that using military force against such vessels—reportedly resulting in 17...

US Appetite for Cocaine Powers Rise of Cartel Boss

'El Mencho' is now Mexico's most powerful drug lord

(Newser) - As cocaine use surges in the US, Nemesio "Mencho" Oseguera, leader of Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has emerged as the most powerful drug lord in the country, and possibly the world. Operating from a fortified hideout in the Sierra Madre, Oseguera has capitalized on two trends:...

Mike Tyson Says He Used Fentanyl 'Quite a Few Times'

He says he used it to deal with pain late in his career

(Newser) - Boxing legend Mike Tyson has revealed he used fentanyl in the late '90s to cope with pain during his career, shedding light on the hidden struggles behind his time in the ring. Speaking on the Katie Miller Podcast , the former heavyweight champ said he used fentanyl "quite...

Rand Paul Says Vance Remarks Show 'Disdain for Human Life'

VP calls strike on Venezuelan boat 'best use of our military'; GOP senator slams lack of due process

(Newser) - Sen. Rand Paul publicly rebuked Vice President JD Vance after Vance praised a US military strike that destroyed a Venezuelan boat allegedly used by drug traffickers, killing 11 people. Vance had identified those on the boat as "cartel members" and called the attack the "highest and best...

After Her Son's Fatal Overdose She Wanted Someone Punished

A grieving parent searches for justice after fentanyl kills her 25-year-old

(Newser) - Serena Fallon's son Connor died of a fentanyl overdose in her Brooklyn basement in April 2022. Police and a medical examiner came to the home, and six hours later, Connor was wheeled out in a body bag. As Serena put it, "My son and the baby in...

Tests Suggest More Workers Are Using Fentanyl

Positivity rate in random tests has doubled since 2020

(Newser) - A growing share of American workers are testing positive for fentanyl in random workplace drug checks, according to new data from Quest Diagnostics. The lab analyzed more than 8 million urine tests and found that 1.13% were positive for fentanyl in 2024, up from 0.91% the previous...

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