Puerto Rico Police investigate 8 deaths due to suspected fentanyl overdoses

At least eight people have died in a town on the north coast of Puerto Rico in recent days, after around twenty people suffered suspected overdoses related to medications that were likely contaminated with fentanyl, police reported Tuesday.

The eighth victim was a 26-year-old man who died at a hospital where he was being treated, police said in a statement.

The first victims were discovered on Thursday in a social housing unit and in other areas of the coastal town of Arecibo.

The Puerto Rico Department of Health has announced a public health emergency and has sent teams to the area to try to identify people with overdose symptoms and prevent more deaths.

Last week, the Puerto Rican police chief ordered operations in two low-income housing units in Arecibo, and local and federal agents arrested at least six people for alleged possession and sale of drugs. The investigation continues.

In 2023, 635 fentanyl-related deaths were reported in Puerto Rico, an island of 3.2 million people, compared to 590 the previous year.

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