LARC NEWS

United States Attorney's Office - Twenty-two participants in a drug-trafficking ring have been charged with conspiring to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl imported from Mexico into the United States as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.).

318 Forum - Nicholas Goeders, PhD, Executive Director of the Louisiana Addiction Research Center, shares a personal reflection on the impact of substance abuse disorder.

National Institute on Drug Abuse - Federal study shows lives lost from overdose crisis are felt across generations, emphasizing need to include children and families in support.

CBS News - Customs and Border Protection officers seized 6.5 tons of methamphetamine in a bust in Eagle Pass, a Texas border town. The methamphetamine is valued at more than $117 million, officials said. It's the largest seizure at a port of entry in a single enforcement action. 

WSFA 12 - The US Customs and Border Protection says officers seized 6.5 tons of methamphetamine valued at $117 million in a single enforcement action, the largest meth seizure recorded at a port of entry. The seizure happened at the Camino Real International Bridge between Mexico and Texas.

A report based on millions of urine drug tests found the United States is facing a rise in the use of multiple drugs at once, which not only is often more deadly but complicates treatment efforts.

KSLA 12 - Dr. Nicholas Goeders, Executive Director of the Louisiana Addiction Research Center at LSUHS, discusses how stress and trauma play a role in addiction, signs of addiction to watch out for, early prevention and what steps to take if a loved one is experiencing addiction.

Past-year use of marijuana and hallucinogens by adults 35 to 50 years old continued a long-term upward trajectory to reach all-time highs in 2022, according to the Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study, an annual survey of substance use behaviors and attitudes of adults 19 to 60 years old.

HealthDay News — Millions of Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and millions more struggle with an addicted family member or friend, a new KFF poll finds.

"DEA Agents in East Texas uncovered a “massive scale” methamphetamine manufacturing lab near Tyler funded by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) which is based in Mexico. Over 170 kgs. were discovered in this single wide trailer. Agent Sanderson said that this lab was supplying the Dallas Ft. Worth area, something that is usually the other way around - Dallas/Ft. Worth supplying East Texas."

InSight Crime - Methamphetamine is the largest synthetic drug industry in the world and the most consumed stimulant in the United States, far surpassing the consumption of cocaine. 

East Idaho News -  A man was arrested Wednesday after a woman reported he had been drugging her food with meth in order to rape her.

During the pandemic, deaths from drug overdoses rose significantly, reaching record levels. In a new report  from  CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), researchers detail rising overdose death rates from certain drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced the results of a year-long national operation, “Operation Last Mile,” targeting those affiliated with the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels responsible for fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution in the U.S.

SciTech Daily - “We looked at trends from 1999 to 2021 and we saw this staggering increase in methamphetamine mortality accompanied by a proportional increase in those deaths that also involved heroin or fentanyl,” said Rachel Hoopsick, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of kinesiology and community health who led the research.

Sun Times - 110 people in Chicago died from methamphetamine overdoses in 2021, a steep rise from 47 in 2019. The fatal overdoses are linked to a rise in demand, increased supply and deadlier “cocktails” as dealers cut the drug with fentanyl and cocaine.

CBS News - In late September, DEA agents with L.A. Division, as well as Fontana PD, seized 3,552 pounds of methamphetamine and 66 kilograms of cocaine -- the largest seizure of meth ever for the LA Division. They estimate the street value is worth around $33 million. 

Louisiana Radio Network - U.S. Senators released a warning about the dangers of rainbow colored fentanyl ahead of Halloween. Executive Director of the Louisiana Addiction Research Center at LSUHS, Dr. Nick Goeders said the DEA has found this rainbow fentanyl in 21 states since February.

ABC6, Logan, Ohio - Children living in deplorable conditions are discovered by deputies investigating a residence where a woman said she was sexually assaulted and robbed. “The one-year-old had a meth pipe walking around with it. The 3-year-old was locked into a pack n play with zip ties so he couldn’t get out of the cage,” Sheriff Lanny North said.

CBS News - The seizure of more than 660,000 pills in Providence, RI, is believed to be the largest seizure of methamphetamine-laced fake Adderall pills in the U.S., as well as among the largest seizures of methamphetamine in DEA New England Field Division history.

Fox News - "This is a massive seizure of methamphetamine, it is largest in the history of the port, and it reflects the steadfast commitment of our officers to the CBP border security mission and their effective application of technology, training and experience," said Liliana Flores, director of the Del Rio Port of Entry.

Louisiana Illuminator - Dr. Nicholas Goeders, executive director of the Louisiana Addiction Research Center at LSUHS, said, “We know opioids are a problem. We have recognized that for several years, but methamphetamine is a growing problem and more needs to be done.”

National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIH supported study finds marijuana and hallucinogen use reported by young adults 19 to 30 years old increased significantly in 2021 compared to five and 10 years ago, reaching historic highs in this age group since 1988.

JAMA Network - A recent study on how frequently methamphetamine and opioid use is associated with nonfatal overdose in rural communities found that people using both substances reported the least access to treatment.

OHSU.edu - Study reveals methamphetamine use is common, contributes to the national overdose epidemic in rural America. The national opioid epidemic continues to dominate headlines and accounts for the majority of the more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths recorded in the United States last year, largely due to fentanyl.

ABC News - A record-breaking two-and-a-half tons of methamphetamine was seized from a box truck that had just crossed the border between the United States and Mexico into National City, California, on July 7, 2022.

WKRG5 - Dr. Nicholas Goeders, Director of the Louisiana Addiction Research Center at LSUHS, responds to recent viral post about a fentanyl overdose from touching a dollar bill and shares the science on the matter.

Los Angeles Times - Customs officials this week discovered a semi-truck hauling nearly $3 million worth of methamphetamine disguised as onions with what they called an “unusual … level of detail.”

MyRGVnews - A police officer in Pharr, TX noticed that several tanker trailers did not have hazard placards resulted in the seizure of an estimated 700 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, which can be converted to nearly 3 tons of the drug.

TRT World - The global drugs trade is on fire, having survived the coronavirus pandemic with minimal disruption. Production is increasing in many places, fuelled by instability and economic crises in major drug-producing countries. Traffickers appear to be sending vast shipments, reflected in record-breaking drug seizures.

Forum News - At the LARC, our goal is to reduce the number of deaths from one of the most preventable causes, drug overdoses, through better education and developing therapies to address the forces underlying Substance Use Disorders. We will also provide avenues for people to stop misusing drugs, thereby reducing crime and bringing families back together. 

LSU Office of Research - While almost all research on addiction to stimulants (such as meth and cocaine) remains focused on dopamine and the body’s pleasure-and-reward system, a researcher at LSU Health Shreveport, Nicholas Goeders, took a different approach. Instead of reward, he looked at stress.

BIZ. - Dr. Nicholas Goeders, Executive Director of LARC, shares his support for the Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021 stating, "Funds must be set aside for novel approaches that get to the crux of methamphetamine use and relapse."

NPR - Mexican drug cartels are turning to bigger, more productive labs to churn out increasing quantities of synthetic drugs like meth and fentanyl, according to seizure figures issued Monday by the country's Defense Department.

JanOne Inc., in an agreement with LSU Health Shreveport, along with other intellectual property relating to TSPO's role in treating meth use disorder (MUD), provides JanOne Inc. with an opportunity to identify new drugs to enhance TSPO activity, and by doing so, reducing craving for meth.

CDC.gov - Provisional data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate that there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period the year before.

AAMC - Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, shares, "Far too often, shame and stigma fuel addiction and prevent treatment. But replacing judgment with compassion can save lives. As a society, we still keep addiction in the shadows, regarding it as something shameful, reflecting lack of character, weakness of will, or even conscious wrongdoing, not a medical issue."

National Institute on Drug Abuse - Overdose deaths involving methamphetamine nearly tripled from 2015 to 2019 among people ages 18-64 in the United States, according to a study by NIDA. In 2020, more than 93,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, marking the largest one-year increase in overdose deaths ever recorded.

The U.S. is in the grips of an epidemic of drug overdose deaths. Stemming the tide of this crisis is a massive undertaking for the nation’s scientific and health-care communities. The Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC) at LSUHS leads a multidisciplinary effort to study and understand the impact of substance use on our citizens. 

United States Drug Enforcement Administration - HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant shared, “HSI and its law enforcement partners undoubtedly saved lives by preventing this massive drug shipment from entering our communities. We will remain vigilant in our mission to prevent these drugs from crossing the border and entering our communities.”

San Diego Union Tribune - The methamphetamine, and an accompanying 127 pounds of fentanyl powder that officers discovered Thursday, had an estimated street value of more than $12.9 million, according to customs officials.

Insightcrime.org - The United States saw a record toll in drug overdose deaths last year, driven in part by two powerful synthetic drugs mass-produced in Mexico and then smuggled over the border. The CDC recorded 93,331 drug overdose deaths in 2020. The devastating tally marked a nearly 30 percent increase from 2019.

KTAL/KMSS - Alarming new data from the CDC shows a drastic increase in drug overdose deaths across the country. Louisiana ranks in the top 5 states with the highest increase of fatalities. “We have to pay attention to it. There are too many lives at risk,” said Dr. Nicholas Goeders, Director of the Louisiana Addiction Research Center at LSU Health Shreveport.

KKTV 11 - “Grand totals for the entire investigation include 800 arrests; and seizures of more than 8 tons of cocaine; 22 tons of marijuana; 2 tons of methamphetamine/amphetamine; six tons of precursor chemicals; 250 firearms; and more than $48 million in various worldwide currencies. Dozens of public corruption cases have been initiated over the course of the investigation. And, during the course of the investigation, more than 50 clandestine drug labs have been dismantled. One of the labs hit yesterday was one of the largest clandestine labs in German history.”

Fox 29 San Antonio - The reason people consume methamphetamine is what it does in your brain releasing large amounts of dopamine, the feel really good chemicals in your brain, says James Miller, Houston Forensic Science Center. Today's meth has never been purer or cheaper, making it all the more difficult for users to resist. And shocking scientists now are lab results showing cocaine is being replaced by meth.

CNN - Authorities seized a record 175 tons of meth in 2020 throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia, a new record despite the Covid-19 pandemic, according to preliminary UNODC data. Drug prices continued to drop, meaning these major busts are not materially affecting the overall supply of drugs in the region.

InSight Crime - Long considered a drug mostly used in poorer backwaters, methamphetamine availability and use has exploded in the United States in the last few years in places where it had never been consumed in any large amounts, marking a dramatic shift. 

KFOR - “Often times we’re seeing some of the largest drug shipments in the country coming through Oklahoma because of our highway system and because of our close proximity to the border,” said Mark Woodward, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

Clinical Toxicology - From Jan 1, 2000 to Dec 31, 2019, US poison control centers managed 54,199 cases involving methamphetamine as the first-ranked substance. Adults 20–39 years old accounted for more than half (56.3%) of cases. There were 1,291 deaths.

Wall Street Journal - When Dutch police raided a barge last year, they found more than just a sophisticated crystal meth lab that started sinking as they inspected it.

National Institute on Drug Abuse shares, "Although deaths from opioids continue to command the public’s attention, an alarming increase in deaths involving the stimulant drugs methamphetamine and cocaine are a stark illustration that we no longer face just an opioid crisis." 

Dr. Nora Volkow wrote in the National Institute on Drug Abuse on Oct. 5, 2020, "As I wrote in April when the COVID-19 pandemic was an emerging health threat in the U.S., there is reason to be concerned that people with substance use disorders (SUDs) may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and its most adverse health outcomes."

NOGALES, Mexico — As the U.S. border wall rose just north of this city, the drug trade here has been driven underground. Mexican and U.S. patrols have found tunnel after tunnel drilled into an 80-year-old drainage system that connects the two countries, 15 feet below the surface. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, deaths from drug overdoses have reportedly surged, even as a relaxing of federal restrictions and a rapid shift by treatment providers has led to an explosion in telemedicine options for receiving help with substance use disorders.

SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa commercial facility Friday seized more than 3,100 pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills and heroin.

The population level changes for women, younger, and non-Hispanic White individuals highlight that health systems may need to educate consumers through print or online media about increased alcohol use during the pandemic and identify factors associated with susceptibility and resilience to the impacts of COVID-19.

DEA.gov - “Criminals selling fentanyl on the Darknet should pay attention to Operation DisrupTor,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. “The arrest of 179 of them in seven countries—with the seizure of their drug supplies and their money as well—shows that there will be no safe haven for drug dealing in cyberspace.”

WWLTV - New Orleans reports drug enforcement agents say they've been seeing a big increase in the highly addictive drug methamphetamine, and have made hundreds of arrests in LA, MS, AR, and AL since February. 

Borderland Beat reports, "More than 8 tons of various products that would be used for the manufacture of drugs were discovered by elements of the State Security and Investigation Guard (GESI), during an operation carried out in the Heriberto Jara ejido, on September 5 in the Poniente area of Mexicali, Baja California."

EL PASO, Texas — Seizures of illegal drugs are on the rise along the U.S.-Mexico border, as drug cartels have adjusted their tactics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. officials say. Quantities of meth seized at the border through August are already double the amount that U.S. border agents came across all of fiscal year 2019; fentanyl seizures are up 30 percent and 24,264 more pounds of marijuana have been seized.

Opioid deaths involving methamphetamine increased significantly by 14.6% from July–December 2017 to January–June 2018 (Gladden et al., 2019).

ST. LOUIS — The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning of a rise in a dangerous mix of fentanyl and methamphetamine linked to the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on the drug trade.

Ventura County Star reports, "Santa Barbara County authorities arrested 33 people in the largest drug bust in the county's history after intercepting a boat carrying 3,164 pounds of methamphetamine."

Business Insider reports, "US border officials are seizing more meth, showing how the coronavirus is changing the drug market. The recent seizure of $16 million worth of methamphetamines by US customs officials underscores rising seizure and overdose trends in the United States.

MINNEAPOLIS– Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents from the Minneapolis/St. Paul District Office are reporting a significant increase in counterfeit pills entering Minnesota from drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in California, Arizona and Mexico.

SAN ANTONIO — The borders may still be shut down for non-essential travel due to COVID-19, but according to the DEA, that’s not stopping drug traffickers from getting fake prescription pills into the U.S.

The NIH Director's Blog: Dr. Nora Volkow shares, "And as I see the movements across the country speaking out against injustice, I would hope that this will also extend to diseases that have been stigmatized. We need to modify our stigma so we provide the same level of importance to treating these diseases and supporting people afflicted by them."

The American Medical Association’s Opioid Task Force report released July 20th shows a dramatic increase in fatalities involving illicit opioids, stimulants (e.g. methamphetamine), heroin and cocaine and a similarly dramatic drop in the use of prescription opioids.

Dr. Nicholas Goeders, LSU Health Shreveport, shares "Addictions feed on uncontrolled fears and anxiety, and COVID-19 has unfortunately produced the perfect storm of prolonged fear and anxiety."

As of June, 108 people in the parish have died of overdoses this year, according to LSU Social Research and Evaluation Center data. This represents an increase of almost 93% from last year's overdose deaths at the same time period.

Millennium Health conducted an analysis of over 500,000 definitive urine drug test (UDT) results for non-prescribed fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in the periods before and after COVID-19 was declared a national emergency, March 13, 2020. Nationally, all four drugs had significant increases in positivity.

The AMA is greatly concerned by an increasing number of reports suggesting increases in opioid-related mortality—particularly from illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. More than 35 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality as well as ongoing concerns for those with a mental illness or substance use disorder.

Retail alcohol sales jumped by 55% nationally during the third week of March, when many stay-at-home orders were put in place, according to Nielsen data, and online sales skyrocketed. The consumption of all this alcohol can be problematic for individuals, even those who haven't had issues with drinking in the past.

Mexican soldiers seized a huge drug stash in the border city of Tijuana, including about two tons of methamphetamine, eight tons of marijuana and 131,500 pills containing the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

For Afghan meth makers, the wild ephedra bush has been a game-changer, breathing life into a new, troubling industry.

Thirty pounds of suspected methamphetamine and a stolen semi-automatic pistol were seized by Oregon State Police troopers during a routine traffic stop May 11.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment of methamphetamine from Mexico on May 20 in Cincinnati and found emulsified inside soap bars.

A Texarkana man has been charged with multiple felonies for allegedly raping a woman after injecting her with methamphetamine.

In a 2018 Eau Claire Community health assessment it was found that on average per 100,000 people 824 people in Eau Claire County were arrested for drug related incidents.

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Mexican authorities on Friday reported seizing nearly 8,000 gallons of liquid meth and chemicals used in the manufacturing of synthetic drugs.

Health care already has effective treatment tools, including medications, but many people who could benefit are reluctant to seek them out because of the stigma that surrounds addiction.

Vinton County, Ohio, has been on the front lines of the opioid crisis in the U.S. for several years. And even though the county hasn't had high infection rates of the coronavirus, the necessary social restrictions have made it harder to keep people addicted to drugs and their children safe.

More than 67,300 americans died from drug overdose in 2018, according to the CDC. That number is higher than those who have died from COVID-19 in the U.S so far. While the world's focus has been on coronavirus, the DEA is focusing on a drug with higher purity and a lower cost... meth.

Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse shares, "We immediately can recognize the unique challenges of COVID-19 for people having an addiction. Some of these are structural; the healthcare system is not prepared to take care of them. They relate also to stigma and social issues, because it interferes with many of the support systems that can help them to reach recovery." 

Australia's methamphetamine addiction is being fuelled by some south-east Asian nations ceding parts of their sovereignty to warlords and drug traffickers, a top United Nations official says.

For the U.S, combating Mexico’s fastest-growing and most violent gang is a top priority. Law enforcement officials believe the gang has drug distribution hubs in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta.

CBP officers assigned to the World Trade Center on Tuesday observed a 2012 Ford pickup truck hauling a shipment of magnets from Mexico. The officers selected the truck for a secondary inspection, according to information obtained from Laredo Sector CBP officials.

"So, I kept it a secret for a long time. I think that's kind of like what fueled the fire and really made me want to find a way to numb the pain and do not have to deal with it," Shelby Wirth said. "The drugs did that for me."

Methamphetamine and bongs made from baby bottles were among the items seized from a mobile home when a 19-year-old Glade man was arrested for dealing drugs and having a gun, according to a press release from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department.

Unrecorded alcohol, that is, alcohol not reflected in official statistics of the country where it is consumed, contributes markedly to overall consumption of alcohol. 

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - Drug enforcement agents focus their efforts on methamphetamine transportation hubs across the U.S. FOX8

In 2018, the rates of drug overdose deaths for methamphetamine and cocaine surpassed that of prescription opioids. ScienceNews

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Sit in an Arkansas courtroom on any given day, and the results of a recent nationwide study become apparent: methamphetamine use is a continuing, still growing problem. KAIT 8

Two women, now in recovery, talk about their struggle and experience with drugs and specifically meth and the turmoil their addiction caused. Cincinnati Enquirer

Overdose deaths tied to opioids are down slightly in Massachusetts and across the nation as a whole. But deaths involving stimulants, cocaine and methamphetamine, are way up. WBUR 90.9

Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon announced that the DEA will direct enforcement resources to methamphetamine “transportation hubs” — areas where methamphetamine is often trafficked in bulk and then distributed across the country.