Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells created a new unit to focus on cases that involve narcotics including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and more.
Anyone caught making and/or dealing illegal drugs in Tarrant County will face the stiffest sentences and fines possible, according to the Tarrant County Criminal DA's office.
"If you deal fentanyl in Tarrant County, we are coming after you," Sorrells said. "Fentanyl is addictive and deadly."
"We are going to get the people who sell this poison off the streets," he said. "We will do everything we can to keep our community safe."
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Fentanyl is a deadly, synthetic opioid. It is available in many forms, including powder, pills, and even liquid for nasal sprays or eye droppers. Two milligrams of fentanyl, the equivalent of a few grains of table salt can be lethal.
In Texas, overdose deaths involving fentanyl rose from 891 in 2020 to 2,189 in 2022, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
So far in 2023, there have been nearly 2,500 overdoses in Tarrant County, many from fentanyl, Fort Worth police records show. More than 300 people have died from overdoses this year, according to Tarrant County Medical Examiner's data.
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The Tarrant County DA Narcotics Unit is staffed with prosecutors who will pursue drug cases and work closely with law enforcement agencies in Tarrant County. This team includes three prosecutors, all of whom are experienced in prosecuting narcotic cases, according to the DA's office.
"We are tired of the death and destruction caused by illegal drugs," Sorrells said. "We will hold people accountable."
