One of the men involved in a 2021 drug-smuggling attempt that turned into a bloody gunfight at the Amtrak station in Downtown Tucson pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Read more»

A bill that would establish manufacturing fentanyl around a minor younger than 12 as a dangerous crime, and, according to some, would decrease the amount in a person’s possession that could land them a charge for intent to sell, passed its first hurdle to become Arizona law. Read more»

Although drug dealers operate on many social media platforms, experts are most worried about Snapchat due to the app’s anonymity, and an Arizona effort is underway to help inform parents of the dangers of fentanyl and cartels’ use of social media to reach vulnerable youth. Read more»

Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s claim that fentanyl overdoses are the leading cause of death in Arizona is false, though the synthetic opioid has been partially responsible for an increase in the number of drug overdose deaths both nationally and locally. Read more»

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced executive actions that would pardon thousands of people with prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession and said he plans to call on governors to follow suit with state offenses related to simple marijuana possession. Read more»

For too long, we've played politics with the public health threat of fentanyl. It's time we addressed it with science-based solutions and raised awareness that cuts through the political talking points. Read more»

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, wife of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as guest of honor at the Cinco de Mayo celebrations at the White House amid thawing relations with Mexico. Read more»

Nogales U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 9,000 fentanyl pills, worth an estimated $24,500 stuffed in the frame of a bicycle, authorities said. Read more»

In an effort to combat what it said were misperceptions about its policy, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced plans to expand access to medication-assisted treatment to help those suffering from substance use disorders. Read more»

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is calling for an investigation into what he called "an indiscriminate and bulk surveillance program" that collected data on millions of money transfers managed by federal officials in Phoenix. Read more»

A 24-year-old man pleaded guilty in a Tucson federal court Friday for his role in coordinating smuggling efforts in Nogales, part of a years-long investigation launched by federal officials to clamp down on the movement of people across the Arizona-Mexico border. Read more»

The COVID-19 pandemic and a growing unsafe drug supply combined to push overdose deaths up by 27.6% in the U.S. over a 12-month period from 2020 to 2021, a surge in deaths that was matched in Arizona. Read more»

The DEA confiscated millions of counterfeit fentanyl pills and over 28,000 pounds of methamphetamine as of 2020 - but keeping track of the transportation and distribution has become more complicated, because drug traffickers are using social media to sell the pills. Read more»

Aunque la marihuana ha sido la fuente de ingresos más rentable para los cárteles mexicanos, la legalización del cannabis en los estados de EE. UU., a provocado un cambio de rumbo: el fentanilo es más rentable, con un gramo que cuesta entre $150 y $200 en la calle, en comparación con aproximadamente $15 por gramo de marihuana. Read more»

Although marijuana has been one of the most profitable cash cows for Mexican cartels, legalization of cannabis in the U.S. has prompted a change - fentanyl is more profitable, with a gram going for $150 to $200 on the street, compared with about $15 for a gram of weed. Read more»