HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — One person has died following a fentanyl overdose inside a Harlingen home, authorities announced.
Deputies responded to a residence located on the 4400 block of Wood Avenue in Harlingen, where the person was located.
Inside the residence, Cameron County Sheriff’s deputies discovered substances which indicated drug use nearby the person’s body.
Drug Enforcement Agencies (DEA) agents on the scene tested the substances and preliminary results showed a positive result for fentanyl, a press release from CCSO stated.
Deputies have not released the identity of the person who died.
Earlier Tuesday morning, Harlingen police found two people inside a car outside of a Motel 6. Police added that one person died and the other was transported to a local hospital.
The Harlingen Police Department held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss the series of suspected overdoses.
“We have six [deaths] in the City of Harlingen and we also have two deaths on the outside. We’re looking at a total of eight deaths,” Rene Perez, director of patient transport services for South Texas Emergency Care Foundation said. “Within the last week or so, we’ve run about 12 related overdoses.”
Last week, the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office released a statement following eight fentanyl-related overdoses in the community.
District Attorney Luis V. Saenz stated he believes there is a bad batch of cocaine, or other illegal drugs, that has been laced with fentanyl, causing the outbreak.
On Oct. 4, deputies with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on a home at the 200 block of E. Cleveland Avenue.
An investigation revealed that two of the victims had obtained drugs from 45-year-old Michael David Ramirez.
It is unknown whether the cases are related at this point.
