San Juan police told Action 4 News that drug dealers are selling out of neighborhoods—places a person might least suspect.
"They have these little stores set up for the Xanax or the bars,” Sgt. Rolando Garcia explained. “They target areas where there is mostly teenagers."
Last week, San Juan police arrested Norma Del Angel Garcia and charged her with three counts of delivery of a controlled substance to a child.
Police told Action 4 News Garcia would host drug parties at her home and allow her teenage children and their friends access to her prescription Xanax pills.
"People who are a little bit younger think that it is safer than doing cocaine and marijuana---when in fact it is just the same," Sgt. Garcia said.
Even though the drugs are legal, the punishment for possession without a prescription is just as tough.
"It is against the law," Sgt. Garcia said. "If you get caught with them and you don't have a prescription you will get charged. The penalty is just as severe as getting caught with cocaine and any other illicit drug."
Sgt. Garcia said the selling of these prescription pills or ‘bars’ as they are commonly known, is not new it is just on the rise and leading to more serious crimes.
Two weeks ago an Alamo woman was allegedly kidnapped from WalMart by two men after she allegedly refused to sell them her Xanax pills.
The woman was able to escape and the men were arrested a short time later.
“Unfortunately it’s becoming more of a problem,” Sgt. Lupita Valdez with Alamo police said.
As for Garcia, he said San Juan police will continue combing the streets—searching for these dealers and try to put a stop to this growing business.
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