Drug described as fentanyl on steroids discovered in Florida

Oct 30, 2024

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A drug described by police as "fentanyl on steroids" has been discovered in West Palm Beach, and investigators are warning the public to be careful.

The drug’s chemical name is N-Desethyl Isotonitazene.

Police said it’s known as "iso" on the streets.

Investigators said it can be up to 50 times stronger than fentanyl.

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"We have a problem," Lt. Joe Herb of the West Palm Beach police said. “And now we see it in Florida, this type of fentanyl. We have a big problem.”

Herb said police executed search warrants two weeks ago on a home and a storage unit where they found $1.6 million worth of iso in powder, pill, and brick form.

“It came back as 50 times more potent than normal fentanyl that we normally deal with,” Herb said. “Fentanyl is normally very dangerous. Now, we’re talking about 50 times stronger.”

Herb said he’s only heard of iso being found in Philadelphia before now.

He said the drug is being sold on the streets of Florida, and users don’t know what they’re buying and can easily overdose.

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"You breathe that stuff in, or you grab it and touch your eyes or grab your mouth or something of that nature; there’s a big concern right now," Herb said.

And because it’s so powerful, Herb said iso is concerning for first responders also.

Naloxone is not always effective with iso, which means police officers, paramedics and even K9s need to be more careful than ever.

“This is scary,” Herb said. “I’ve been a police officer for 34 years. I’ve been doing narcotics pretty much my entire career. This is scary.”

Herb said one person has been arrested in connection with iso, but his name is not being released.

Herb said this is an active investigation, and more arrests could come in the future.

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