Fentanyl continues to rise in Imperial County

National Fentanyl Awareness Day was on May 9

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - According to Imperial County Drug Task Force, cases of fentanyl keep rising.

The Imperial County Drug Task Force says there has been a drastic increase in fentanyl cases from 2022 to 2023.

They say they've already seized more than three times the amount of fentanyl pills compared to last year when they took in over 37,000 pills.

"This year as of April 2023, we have seized over 120,000 fentanyl pills and 20 pounds of fentanyl powder. So you can just see the dramatic increase in the four-month span," stated Commander John Seaman from the Imperial County Narcotic Task Force.

Calexico Police dispatchers say they've also seen a rise in emergency phone calls regarding fentanyl overdoses this year.

Just last Friday they received an emergency call of an 18-year-old woman overdosing on fentanyl.

Thankfully she survived.