Fentanyl found in ventilation system of Ohio juvenile detention facility; 7 victims rushed to hospital

At least seven people have been taken to the hospital after fentanyl was discovered in the air ventilation system of an Ohio juvenile detention facility, forcing an evacuation.

Multiple ambulances and emergency personnel responded to dispatch calls at the Northwest Ohio Juvenile Detention Training and Rehabilitation Center in Stryker after several victims began collapsing for an unknown reason, WTOL reported.

It was later discovered that fentanyl was being spread throughout the facility via the air conditioning, affecting four juveniles and three corrections officers, Williams County Sheriff's Deputy Jeff Lehman told the outlet. 

The remaining inmates were escorted out of the facility and are being held in the neighboring adult detention facility, separate from adults, officials said.

The victims are stable and are expected to recover, WTVG reported. 

Mexican cartels have been blamed for the arrival of fentanyl into Ohio, including a new deadly para-fluorofentanyl, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation said in a new bulletin warning about the new drug. 

"Most of these things are coming right now from Mexico. The Mexican cartels are shipping these things into the United States," Jon Sprague, the director of science and research for Ohio Attorney General's Office, said with the bulletin, News 5 of Cleveland reported. 

The juvenile center has been closed amid the ongoing investigation, officials said.