Some people may see Iowa as a flyover state, but police say Mexican cartels do not. Iowa state troopers say the state’s gotten more popular with drug dealers.
Interstate 80 connects California and New Jersey. Interstate 5 will take you from Minnesota all the way to Texas. The two roads intersect in Des Moines (Iowa), a popular location for drug trafficking.
The situation on the southern border causes a lot of problems for Iowans, according to Assistant Director of Narcotics Enforcement Ryan Moore.
Moore stated, “The cartels have arrived.” It’s the most drugs we’ve ever seen. And it’s also the cheapest.
Moore claims that the cartels have shifted their focus to children and that one pill is deadly. Last year, fentanyl was involved in nearly 90% of Iowa’s overdose deaths.
Moore stated that drug trafficking groups are now spreading into smaller communities because they feel less pressure and can hide.
In the past, drug groups would store drugs in Iowa in large metropolitan areas such as Des Moines. Police are now finding drug stash houses in small towns of 20,000 residents with up to 20 pounds.
Iowa has a low opioid death rate, but the number continues to grow each year. In Iowa, the death rate was 11.5 per 100,000. According to CDC statistics, in 2020 the death rate would be 14.3, and by 2021 15.3.
Daniel Dailey, son of Ann Breeding, struggled with addiction for 12 years. In middle school, he was bullied because of his weight. In his late 20s, he was accused of selling drugs.
“He tried to shield me from this stuff. He didn’t say much.” “He did mention that cartels were involved,” Breeding said.
He was in treatment for addiction when the pandemic began. Breeding says that this took a toll because he couldn’t see his family. A sheriff’s deputy showed up on her doorstep in November 2020.
“I can honestly say that my heart was broken. Breeding stated, “My soul was crushed there because I had planned and I was confident that our story would end happily.” When he died, he was high on heroin, Xanax, meth, and fentanyl.
Fentanyl is not only a problem for drug addicts. The police say that people can overdose on fentanyl even if it is the first drug they have tried.
Sebastian Kidd, a 17-year-old from New York City who had never used drugs before, sought a Percocet to treat his anxiety and headaches caused by six concussions.
“He took half of a pill that he purchased on Snapchat.” Deric Kidd said that the father of Sebastian found the remaining half and discovered it to be mainly fentanyl.
They never thought illicit drugs would be a problem. The Kidds want to see the country reduce the flow of drugs entering the country through the southern border.
Kidd explained that “our focus is mental health, and we are trying to address this issue before it starts.” Kidd said that most of the time, drug use is the result of other factors. “We are trying to address this issue at a young stage.”
The family has created a nonprofit organization called Become Their Voice that aims at educating the public on the dangers associated with fentanyl and social media. It also aims to promote mental health while paying tribute to the victims of drug overdoses.
Covert Action Treatment Facility in Des Moines is a medication-assisted treatment facility. The average number of new admissions is three per week. Six new admissions have been made this week. Lindsey Veitz, the clinical supervisor and program director, is responsible for overseeing all of the clinics. She said admissions have increased since fentanyl was introduced, but there’s a new danger.
Vietz stated, “We are now seeing a consistent pattern of our patients testing positive for xylazine who use heroin.” “Xylazine could be the new fentanyl.” “I think it’s more dangerous than fentanyl.”
It is also known as tranq and is used to sedate animals. The drug is mixed with other drugs and fentanyl, which can be dangerous as it resists Narcan or other opioid overdose reversal medications.
