MIAMI – The Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning Friday over a deadly synthetic cocaine that has become widespread in Florida.
DEA forensic chemists found cocaine laced with opioids in over 180 samples taken over the last two years. The list of opioids discovered in the cocaine include fentanyl, carfentanil, and furanyl fentanyl.
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According to the report, Carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine, while fentanyl was 50 times more potent than morphine and carries a high risk of overdose.
Cocaine caused more deaths in Florida than any other drug in 2016, while cocaine-related fatalities reportedly doubled over the past four years. Miami-Dade alone averaged around 36 cocaine-related deaths per month in 2016.
More cocaine-opioid mixtures were found in Miami-Dade than any other county in the state.
The warning claims drug dealers are often mixing fentanyl in cocaine, often times on purpose to increase potency or profitability.