Sheriff: Cocaine and meth use surges along with synthetic fentanyl, aided by border crisis

Sheriff: Border crisis contributing to surge in meth, cocaine and synthetic fentanyl

Sheriff Michael Bouchard says it is a supply and demand issue, combined with the already troubling amounts of fentanyl coming into the states. He says it’s a reason politicians need to fix the immigration system.

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Police tracking drugs in our area are sounding the alarm with cocaine and meth making a comeback. Metro Detroit law enforcement is warning of an uptick in meth and cocaine use across the area.

"The danger of this is significant to everybody," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. "Basically the cost of cocaine, the cost of meth, all of that has gone down to about a third of what it was two years ago."

Bouchard says it is a supply and demand issue, combined with the already troubling amounts of fentanyl coming into the states. He says it is a reason politicians need to fix the immigration system.

"What we have now is allowing all sorts of things to come across the border really unchecked that affect everyone in this country," he said. "Whether it happens to be the high-end burglary rings that have been hammering this region, or the vastly increased amount of drugs that are now in this region."

In addition to the jump in meth and cocaine trafficking, drug enforcement agencies say the fentanyl is now coming in synthetic form.

Researchers say fentanyl killed more than 112,000 people nationwide last year.

Bouchard says 80 percent of the samples his team has tested, show traces of xylazine mixed in. It is an animal tranquilizer used by animal doctors.

"We’re seeing it pushed into pills and pressed into fake pills," he said. "So somebody may thinks they are going to buy an Adderall, or whatever the case may be. And they end up getting a pill laced with fentanyl and one pill can kill."

Adding to the struggle, police say that Narcan does nothing to reverse the effects of fentanyl-laced with xylene.