Five arrested after 79 opioid overdoses

Austin police arrested five people in an undercover operation last week after a wave of 79 opioid overdoses resulted in nine deaths.

As KXAN reported, police conducted an undercover operation on May 2 that resulted in the arrest of a person who was reportedly found with crack cocaine laced with a mixture of fentanyl.

An undercover agent at Cash America Pawn, 9616 N. Lamar Blvd. offered a man $40 for crack. Kanady Arkangelo Rimijo, 32, allegedly gave the officer two pieces of crack cocaine, according to police documents obtained by the outlet.

When officers searched Rimijo, they allegedly found eight bags of marijuana. Both the crack cocaine and marijuana tested positive for fentanyl.

Rimijo was charged with Penalty Group 1B Manufacture and Delivery of Controlled Substances, a first-degree felony, and his bond was set at $20,000, per KXAN.

The other four suspects arrested were Marcellus Barron, 30, Gary Lewis, 50, Denise Horton, 47, and Ronnie Mims, 45.

Barron was charged with second-degree delivery of a controlled substance. Lewis was charged with second-degree possession of a controlled substance. Horton was also charged with second-degree possession of a controlled substance. Mims was charged with third-degree possession of a controlled substance.

“These arrests are the result of the investigation into the source of the illegal narcotics associated with recent overdoses,” an Austin police spokesman said in a news conference Monday. According to the spokesperson, the suspects “are not associated with any of the overdose victims at this time.”

“The purpose of these operations was to identify the responsible dealers and the source of the narcotics responsible for the overdoses,” the spokesman said.

During their operations, APD seized crack cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, all laced with fentanyl. The reported overdoses were spread throughout North Austin, Downtown and South Austin.

Officials believe the recent overdoses are likely linked to the same source as previously reported The Dallas Express. They suspect that a “new shipment” of drugs, probably from the same source, has arrived in the city.

The police have not determined whether there was cartel involvement. The investigations are still ongoing.

The fentanyl crisis is affecting the entire state of Texas.

Overdose deaths are increasing across Texas. In 2019, the drug overdose death rate was 10.8 per 100,000 and in 2021 it was 16.8, according to the most recently released data from the CDC.

Gov. Greg Abbott enacted four laws in 2023 that classified fatal fentanyl overdoses as intoxications and imposed harsher penalties for fentanyl-related crimes.

“The Dallas Police Department has noticed an increase in cases involving fentanyl,” said Jesse Carr, DPD chief information officer The Dallas Express In April.

In March, a Dallas fentanyl dealer was sentenced to two decades in federal prison after police seized more than 28,000 counterfeit drug pills containing fentanyl from the man’s home.