Silke Jasso
On Monday, authorities arrested Caleb Poteet in Katy after he was busted for ordering more than 100 grams of fentanyl through the U.S. Postal Service from China.
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A lengthy undercover investigation eventually led to Poteet’s arrest, and the 21-year-old is currently charged with possession, intent to deliver a controlled substance and evading arrest, which happened on Fry Road near I-10.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid […] similar to morphine, but is 50 to 100 times more potent.”
Reports show fentanyl is being used more frequently as an additive to other drugs, such as heroin, and experts warn the combination can be lethal.
From the last five months in Harris County alone, a number of people have died from an overdose of heroin cut with fentanyl.
With a report that drug-related deaths are now the leading cause of death in the U.S. shared Monday by the New York Times, Houston officials, like Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap, predict this is just the beginning of a long struggle with addictions in Houston and expect to see more drugs cut with the synthetic.
“I truly hope illegal drug users and those who sell this dangerous poison are getting the message because fentanyl is killing people and in record numbers,” Heap said in an interview following Poteet’s arrest. “I am proud of the investigators who uncovered this supply of fentanyl. Their hard work likely saved lives.”
If you or anyone you know needs help with a drug problem, there are resources available citywide that can help.
