Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to Georgia Focus. I'm John Clark on the Georgia
News Network. The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is
to enforce the control substance laws and regulations of the
United States. Their dedication to upholding the Constitution of the
United States and the rules of law is first and foremost.
Here today to talk about Drug take Back Day and
other things regarding the DEA is Agent J. Chung. He's
(00:32):
Atlanta's acting Special Agent in charge. Well, first of all,
thank you for coming on today. I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Well, tell me, first of all, the DEA in the
Atlanta Division. What is consistent consisting of the Atlanta Division.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
So the Atlanta Division consists of all of Georgia in
North and South Carolina. Okay, that is considered our area
of operation or ao R.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Now, you know you we hear about the d A
a lot, and we know you're out there getting drugs.
What do you what do you do in in in
yours in your part of the job. Tell us about
the job that you do.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
So, I mean, you know, my job is pretty it's
pretty boring compared to what the working agents and investigators
do on the D and D and out right I
mean I'm responsible for you know, all the happenings investigative
initiative happenings that you know that that.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Touch the Atlanta ao R.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
But you know, as an agent, listen, you know, I
won't sugar because as far as what agents do is
their job is.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
To save American lives, right, right, And that's that's how
I feel.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
You know that important that their their commission.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Is here, you know what they do there? How many
agents are you responsible for?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
So you know what throughout the entire division? You know,
I mean we have we have DA agents and also
we have you know, our local state partners that are
part of our our squads.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Right, Our officers make up make up the e A.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
And so we're probably you know, between you know, Georgia
and the Carolinas, we're probably around you know, four hundred
agents and investigators what we call task.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Force officers, right, and you work with local law.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Enforcement too, absolutely, and that's what the task force officers are.
There are local investigators from our partners, uh that that
are assigned to us on loan for any you know,
from anywhere to you know, you know, two or three
(02:49):
or four years, right, and you know, it becomes a
force multiplier for us because you know, we can't you know, listen,
we depend on heavily on our local and federal partners. Yeah,
it's supposally to to fight this uh fetanol crisis that
we're facing. So it's it's definitely a force multiplier, and
we we certainly appreciate the relationships and the collaborations uh
(03:12):
that that go on with our partners.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Is right now, is finanel the most dangerous thing you're seeing?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So fetanyl uh another synthetic drugs, but fetanel particularly is
the most potent and dangerous drug that that we've been
faced with. Uh, I think in recent memory.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Man, what does it? What does it do to? What
do people do with use finanyl for that? I mean
they I don't have any idea at all.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
So, so fetanyl is is no tod Right, It's synthetical
that that what we considered narcotic energiesic right, leaves pain
and induces sleep. But what it does is fetanyl is
so powerful that a mere two middle grams feanyl that
(04:01):
could fit on the tip of a pencil, you know,
grains that could fit on a pencil that has the
has the potential lethal dose to kill someone.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Right, So if you take a like, let's say, if
you stick like.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
A sweet and low or sugar packet, that alone, that
that's that's that's one gram of you know, sugar or whatever.
If you take one gram of fetanyl, it has a
potential lethal dose to kill five.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Hundred people in that one Wow.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
It is dangerous, you know, it's And what would like
to tell people is that you know, uh.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You know, you know, twenty thirty years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
If people were experimenting with drugs, you know, nobody dies
from it, right. They may, you know, maybe they had
a bad trip, bad experience, but nobody died. Today, one
experiment with.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Drugs could kill you.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
You could literally you could, you could kill you, right, progression.
Let and in fact, and in fact, last year, all
the fake pills that we see that contain fetanol, five
out of ten pills that's been tested in our labs
DA labs contain the potentially for the builds of two
(05:13):
milligrams or more. Wow, So five out of ten, right, yeah,
So it's scary, right, and it's scary, and I want
you know, your listeners to understand that you know, this
is this is serious, you know, you know, talk about
it with family, friends, colleagues, and it should be in
front of everybody's mind, right because you know, if you're
(05:36):
talking about you know, drug overdose, poisons, is killed, you
know more, you know, more.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
People between the age of eighteen to forty.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Five than suicides, gun violence, and automobile crashes. Right, So
you're so, so if you're between the age of eighteen
ages of eighteen and forty five, your biggest threat is
drug poisoning. And seventy percent of the drug poisoning that
occurred in twenty twenty three of about one hundred and
ten thousand people was attribute to fatanyl man.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
So do they take it by itself or that they
mix it with other drugs too, or do they both?
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, good question.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
So we have we have seen fetanyl adultraated in every
drug imaginable, right, So you know fetanyl. We obviously the
most common fake pill for fetanyl is oxycodone pills, the
blue pills. It's to stamp with an M on it.
But we've also discovered a fetanyl being adultraded in xanix
(06:45):
adderall hydro codone, vicodin, cocaine, methenphetamine, and so you know,
so it's in all the drugs, all the relicid drugs
and all the pill form drugs, right, And that's why people,
this is why people are dying it because if you
take a look at fetanyl, or if you take a
(07:05):
look at you know, fetanyl and and and and lit'st
an adderall you know, ader is a fete right or
or you know, are benzodyazepine you know, like xanax, right,
you know that's to use treat you know, seizures and anxiety.
It doesn't even do the same thing to your in
your body.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
But what people you know, whether.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
They get it online or they get it through social
media applications, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
They get it from you know whoever.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And you know, they get let's say, venzodiazepine like a
like a dan x and also with fetanyl and they're
taking that xan x for you know, different reasons then
what fetanyl is supposed to do. And so when fetanyl
gets into your system, and especially the fetanol that we're
supporting fetanol that we're seeing now and then two milligrams
(07:57):
potentially with those and that's what's killing people.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
So they get them the drugs off the street or
sort of whether they call it off the street.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Know, you know they get they can get the drugs
off the street, you off the internet. You know they
can get it, you know, you know, from from the
lipid sources. Right, and that's why we urge people. You know,
you should not be taking any medication that is not
prescribed to you by a legitimate doctor and field biologimate pharmacy.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Right right.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And that's any drug that's whether adderall or whatever, any drug,
no drug, taking any.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Any drug, any prescription drugs. Right.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
You should not be taking someone off's prescription drugs. You
should not be taking it from your friends or other
family members.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
You know, it could cost you your life.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yeah, and so you're you're trying to stop the drugs
and but also catch the people involved with it too, right,
So you're you're catching these people and getting these drugs
off the street.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Then absolutely absolutely, you know we are you know, harder
work every day. You know, the men and women dedicated
Amendment of the Drug Forces, Administration and a law and
partners are hard at work every day. You know, we
are identifying criminal networks, the cartels that are driving the addiction.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Uh in here in America. You know we are you
know We're trying.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
To identify the the entire network from you know, from
source countries like Mexico and China to you know to
main Street here in the United States, right, and we're
trying to exploit that entire network. And our aim is
you know, our name is and just just a knockoff,
you know, one one, you know, one small drug.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Dealer, right.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Our aim is is the is the is the attack
entire network the infrastructure of the drug trafficking network, include
their finances, their assets, the distribution network, the transportation network,
so that we can attack the entire network and and
just destroy the entire network.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
That's our name, right, And you're you're seeing success with that,
I guess we you.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Know, we we've you know, we haven't seen success, uh
you know with you know this mathoning cartels and.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You know, but you know, there's still a lot of
work for us to do.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Come a long ways, but there's certainly a lot more
work for us to do, right And because you know
these cartels that are in Mexico, particularly the Cinema cartel,
the new generationalistical cartail better known as c G and
G and to to some extent, to look at me
a look for me, a cartel that are goes to.
(10:39):
All those three cartels are operating and have a huge
presence here in the Greater Georgia area, right, and so
you know, we are hard at work, you know, attacking
those cartels, and especially now that they've been designated foreign
terrace organizations, so that gives us you know, look, you know,
a lot more tools in a toolbox to go to
(11:00):
these cartels from harming American people.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
You know, we're thinking that it happens more in Atlanta,
but it's all over the state of Georgia, right, that's
just happening as well.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
You know, you know, you know, we see the bigger
seizures here in Atlanta just because you know, Atlanta is
a huge, huge hub for the cartels for the same
reasons why the forty five hundred companies are here doing business.
It's the same reason why the cartels send drugs here
to you know, to Atlanta for further distribution.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
This is where you know, the money.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Is collected or it comes back here once it's collective
from the different you know, small and metropolitan area cities
or meeting metropolitan area cities. But you know, we have
you know, the vast network of freeways, the business airport
in the world and the seaports, and that's why that's
why it's here. Right.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Well, I know you have DA Take Back Day on Saturday,
April twenty six, that is a take talk about that
day and that what what people should do that day
and just talk about that day.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah. So yeah, so thanks for that. And so you
know d DA.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Almost for almost for over a decade now been involved
in what we called then subscription pickback Day, right, and
it's April twenty six, the say for twenty six Saturday,
from ten am to two pm. So what we're asking
the public to do is when you know, we're asking
the public, you know, any type of prescription medication, right
that especially controlled prescription.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Medication right.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
That that are no longer in use in your household,
We're asking you to you know, bring them and drop
them off, right, no questions asked. You know, we're asking
you to help us, uh, you know, to put the
information out there and also you know, just just just
bringing use old medication that no one's using it the
house and just safety so we can see if people
(12:56):
disposed of it. Right Listen, According to the Sins Abuse
and Mental Health Service Administration. They're known samshow. You know
a great number of you know, people who become who
abuse prescription medication.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Uh, you know, it all.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Starts at the house, at the home, right you know,
by a family member or a friend, because they got
the medication from a friend or a family member that
wouldn't prescribed to them. So we want to so we
want to stop that right and again you know you
don't you know, we encourage people, you know, listen, don't
take drugs. In fact, we urge people don't take any
(13:35):
prescription medication that is not prescribed to you. And you know,
once once you're once you're done using the medication it's
been prescription. This is the safe way to discard you know,
that medication. No again, no questions to ask. You know
that we have over five thousand drop off locations nationwide
and you know you can, you know, you can visit
(13:59):
ww dot b e a TakeBack dot Com and you
can and you know, you can punch in your zip
code and it give you the closest drop off site.
And we're asking you to you know, bring you know,
bring unused medications, especially again control substances and legend drugs.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
And bring it in and so we can.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Dispose them for your property. And again and one thing
I also want to mention is that the TakeBack the
next brigets and take back day. You know, that's kind
of our das four facing you know day to encourage
people to bring prescriptions in that they're not no longer using.
But you know, it's it goes on you know, all
(14:40):
year long. Right, this is just kind of you know,
twice a year, you know, we take you know, you know,
we kind of try to to mind the public that
this you know, this is the day for it. But
you know, we have drop off locations. We have probably
around seventeen thousand drop off locations throughout the country at
any given time, any given day that you can you
(15:00):
can bring unused medication, you know, to to drop it
off in the in the location so we can expose.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
It to the property.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Are most of the drop off locations that police departments
or sheriff's offices or something you know it is it's.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Police department, police off department.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
And sheriffs offices, fire fire stations, you know, a pharmacies,
hospitals you know, getting.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Throughout should they now this is for prescription drugs. What
if they come across illegal drugs? What should they do
in case that they do come and then and not
they're not responsible for Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
So you know, listen, if you come across what you
think are illegal drugs, you know, you should call you know,
your local police department right away, right, they have them
come check it out and have them.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Take that from you.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Just so that you know, this plump in the wrong hands,
you know, you know, but we don't, you know, we
encourage you, you know, if if you said in powder
form or something like that, you do not handle it, right,
But this take back day is just for prescription medications.
But if become at any time, if you can come
across what you suspect is you know, elicit drugs in
(16:17):
powder form or even until form, right, especially in fetanyl,
it's very dangerous, right, that's very dangerous. When we handle fetanyl,
we handle it with you know, personal protective equipment, and
so you know, just a we correct the public, you know,
not to handle it on their own, and they should
call the local police to come out and investigate it
(16:39):
and to take the drugs from them.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
It's not the case.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
And what if people in their neighborhoods see something that
looks a little suspicious, maybe they think maybe they're doing
some drugs, something's going on. What should they do in
that case?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, you know, this should you know, listen, first and foremost,
they should not take actions into their own hands, right,
They shouldn't take their own hands. They should they should
call the local police and and and you know, the
police can come out and conduct the wallfar check or
you know, you know, just kind of put the eye
on it and see if they can develop you know,
some leads or or or or conducted investigation. Right, and
(17:19):
you know, should let's let's let the police handle that.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Type of stuff.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
And you know the public should be aware throughout.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
The Atlanta, Georgia area. You know, you know we've found
you know.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Rental properties where the cartails have used it, as as
as as.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Labsine labs, right, which is very dangerous. It has very
dangerous chemicals and you know it's it's they converted you know,
liquid methamphetamine into into solids and uh, you know, we've
we've rated places where where you know, became an active lab.
It's very dangerous, right, So you know, we we created
(17:58):
the public to be you know, vigilant, but you know, please.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Don't take masters put on.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I've noticed that those active places that houses in regular neighborhoods,
just regular neighborhoods. There there's a house there and they
raided all of a sudden. That's wild.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Yeah, right, you're absolutely right, right, And so you know,
the criminal elements push the drug traps because they want
to blend in, right, they want to blend in, and
they don't want to look, they don't't to stand down
and suspicious. So you know though, you know, they'll rent
homes in your regular neighborhoods throughout throughout our areas, and
they'll keep us keep a little profile, right, And it's
(18:36):
not until you know, whether you know, whether it be
the d A or or or other lawfuls and partners,
we conduct an investigation and we learned that that's where
the staff location is or or a potential lab exists,
and you know that's that's when we conduct the raids.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Yeah, and I've noticed too, I haven't noticed. I've I've
heard of extended to stay hotels. They they do it
too in there and one will blow up.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah, you know, so it's you know, it's wherever they
can you know they can stay. You know, it's sometimes
they'll stay there for you know limit, you know, a
limited period they're waiting to meet up with someone they're
waiting for you know, they are distributors to come through
to pick up their you know portion you know, of
the lists of drugs, math or heroin or fatana.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Cocaine will be it. You know.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
So yeah, you know, you get you know, here in Atlanta,
you know, we are list when it comes.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
To math, we are probably you know, we're probably up.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
There in terms of like METS seizures or or like
cont the amount of quantities of meth that we're seeing
and seizing.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Here in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
I mean we're seeing you know Mountscat normally. You know,
it's it's is seen in near the Southast border right
where where they're stashing things, stashing maths and stash house
there before throughout the States, and we're seeing those type
of quantities. In fact, last year we had you know
a couple of events where it was the third largest
(20:06):
METS seizure.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
In in d A. And you may have heard about that,
and that's.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
When it was concealed in Celery and it was it
was you know, we sees it at the at the
state farmer's market, that that that type of quantity isn't
isn't normally seen here, you know, it's normally that type
of quantity is usually seen, you know, down the top
of the border when the cartels are you know, swarming and
(20:33):
through the tunnels, or it is coming through the support
of entries and it's staging you know, on the US
side of the border. But now it's coming here in
big stage here because we are you know, Atlanta. It's
basically we're supplying up and down the eastern seaboard, you know,
probably all the way far north as parts of Virginia
(20:57):
and down south all throughout probably Orlando and Jacksonville area
not mentioned obviously, you know, Tennessee, bus Kentucky, you know, Mississippi, Alabama.
You know, we're supplying all those, you know, all those
you know, the drugs that are coming to Atlanta, are
supplying all those all the states.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
So so in addition to fentanyl, you still have myth
and marijuana and cocaine and everything's just everywhere.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Out there right listen, and I would tell you for
your listeners, we were seeing a we were seeing rising
in cocaine. Okay, here in Atlanta and throughout the nation.
Uh da, you know, we were seeing rising cocaine. Meth
is still prevalent. You know, we've probably see more meths
here than we do fetanyl. But you know, but I
(21:44):
will also say that you know, you know, we have
we have as of late, we have seen our mount
of ftanel here. We've sived or not fetanoel, whether it
be in powder.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Form or whether it's in peel form.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Uh. You know, recently a couple of weeks ago, we
see the largest fatanyl uh we're the largest faetanyl seizure
in pill form approximate twentyred and forty thousand pills that
we see here with our partners from Sandy Springs.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
And listen that that is alarm. You don't see the.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Consoles kind of numbers, you know, I know we have
it in the past.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
You know. Listen, we see.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Twenty thousand pills, ten thousand pills that we've never see,
you know, pills and the hundreds of thousands. And that
person also has five kilograms of cocaine. I've excuse me,
five kildrems of fatanyl powder fetanyl. You know, so it's
you know, it's it's here, and you know, we appreciate
(22:41):
you know, folks like you are in your station that
are wanted to talk to us, so we help, you know,
so we get the word out and you can help
us get the word out of the danger of you know,
fetanyl and other listed drugs. I mean, because at the
end of the day, you know, education prevention, you know,
it's plays a big part in in you know, in
(23:02):
curbing the overdose you know, over those poisoning rate here
in the United States. And I think the CDC recently
published some numbers where from from I think October one
of twenty twenty three to September and the September twenty
(23:22):
twenty four, you know, there has been a decline in
over those poisonings.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Good.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
I believe the numbers are from somewhere to like one
hundred and fourteen thousand to about a seven thousand, so
you know, so that's that's positive news, you know, but
we still have.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
A lot of work to do.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah, well, we appreciate you your people out there doing
it for us, and you can't know how much we
appreciate that. And of course DA Take Back Day is Saturday, Saturday,
April or twenty six, and we'll encourage everybody to take
what you have at home and find out where to
get it and take it away, be done with.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
It right absolutely absolutely, We're you know listen, I mean,
if you don't need the medication anymore any longer, we
encourage you to to you know, to find a location
nears to you and and just drop it off. We
had no questions asked. It goes to April twenty six
from ten am to two pm. And again that website
(24:22):
to find the location nears to you, the e A
take back dot com. Uh and again you know this,
you know this is you know, this is something we promote,
you know on this day. It's kind of four facing
for us. But again you don't have to wait you know,
until you know, until we not this you know take
back day. There are locations available, seventeen thousand rots available
(24:45):
throughout the country that you can go to to any
given time and drop off you know, unwanted medication. So
we encourage, we encurage the public to do so.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Definitely do definitely do. I appreciate you taking time to
do this because what you're doing out there is really
great work. And thank you for doing what you're doing.
Thank you so much and thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
That's Jay Chung. He's Atlanta's acting Special Agent in charge
for the de A talking about DA take Back Day Saturday,
April twenty six. Go to d e A TakeBack dot
com d e A TakeBack dot Com to find out
where you go to take your drugs back. If you
have questions or comments about today's show, you can email
(25:27):
me John Clark at Georgiannewsnetwork dot com. Thanks for listening.
I'll talk to you next week right here on your
local radio station, Georgia Focus
Welcome to Georgia Focus. I'm John Clark on the Georgia
News Network. The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is
to enforce the control substance laws and regulations of the
United States. Their dedication to upholding the Constitution of the
United States and the rules of law is first and foremost.
Here today to talk about Drug take Back Day and
other things regarding the DEA is Agent J. Chung. He's
(00:32):
Atlanta's acting Special Agent in charge. Well, first of all,
thank you for coming on today. I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Well, tell me, first of all, the DEA in the
Atlanta Division. What is consistent consisting of the Atlanta Division.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
So the Atlanta Division consists of all of Georgia in
North and South Carolina. Okay, that is considered our area
of operation or ao R.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Now, you know you we hear about the d A
a lot, and we know you're out there getting drugs.
What do you what do you do in in in
yours in your part of the job. Tell us about
the job that you do.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
So, I mean, you know, my job is pretty it's
pretty boring compared to what the working agents and investigators
do on the D and D and out right I
mean I'm responsible for you know, all the happenings investigative
initiative happenings that you know that that.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Touch the Atlanta ao R.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
But you know, as an agent, listen, you know, I
won't sugar because as far as what agents do is
their job is.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
To save American lives, right, right, And that's that's how
I feel.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
You know that important that their their commission.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Is here, you know what they do there? How many
agents are you responsible for?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
So you know what throughout the entire division? You know,
I mean we have we have DA agents and also
we have you know, our local state partners that are
part of our our squads.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Right, Our officers make up make up the e A.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
And so we're probably you know, between you know, Georgia
and the Carolinas, we're probably around you know, four hundred
agents and investigators what we call task.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Force officers, right, and you work with local law.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Enforcement too, absolutely, and that's what the task force officers are.
There are local investigators from our partners, uh that that
are assigned to us on loan for any you know,
from anywhere to you know, you know, two or three
(02:49):
or four years, right, and you know, it becomes a
force multiplier for us because you know, we can't you know, listen,
we depend on heavily on our local and federal partners. Yeah,
it's supposally to to fight this uh fetanol crisis that
we're facing. So it's it's definitely a force multiplier, and
we we certainly appreciate the relationships and the collaborations uh
(03:12):
that that go on with our partners.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Is right now, is finanel the most dangerous thing you're seeing?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So fetanyl uh another synthetic drugs, but fetanel particularly is
the most potent and dangerous drug that that we've been
faced with. Uh, I think in recent memory.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Man, what does it? What does it do to? What
do people do with use finanyl for that? I mean
they I don't have any idea at all.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
So, so fetanyl is is no tod Right, It's synthetical
that that what we considered narcotic energiesic right, leaves pain
and induces sleep. But what it does is fetanyl is
so powerful that a mere two middle grams feanyl that
(04:01):
could fit on the tip of a pencil, you know,
grains that could fit on a pencil that has the
has the potential lethal dose to kill someone.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Right, So if you take a like, let's say, if
you stick like.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
A sweet and low or sugar packet, that alone, that
that's that's that's one gram of you know, sugar or whatever.
If you take one gram of fetanyl, it has a
potential lethal dose to kill five.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Hundred people in that one Wow.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
It is dangerous, you know, it's And what would like
to tell people is that you know, uh.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You know, you know, twenty thirty years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
If people were experimenting with drugs, you know, nobody dies
from it, right. They may, you know, maybe they had
a bad trip, bad experience, but nobody died. Today, one
experiment with.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Drugs could kill you.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
You could literally you could, you could kill you, right, progression.
Let and in fact, and in fact, last year, all
the fake pills that we see that contain fetanol, five
out of ten pills that's been tested in our labs
DA labs contain the potentially for the builds of two
(05:13):
milligrams or more. Wow, So five out of ten, right, yeah,
So it's scary, right, and it's scary, and I want
you know, your listeners to understand that you know, this
is this is serious, you know, you know, talk about
it with family, friends, colleagues, and it should be in
front of everybody's mind, right because you know, if you're
(05:36):
talking about you know, drug overdose, poisons, is killed, you
know more, you know, more.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
People between the age of eighteen to forty.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Five than suicides, gun violence, and automobile crashes. Right, So
you're so, so if you're between the age of eighteen
ages of eighteen and forty five, your biggest threat is
drug poisoning. And seventy percent of the drug poisoning that
occurred in twenty twenty three of about one hundred and
ten thousand people was attribute to fatanyl man.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
So do they take it by itself or that they
mix it with other drugs too, or do they both?
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, good question.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
So we have we have seen fetanyl adultraated in every
drug imaginable, right, So you know fetanyl. We obviously the
most common fake pill for fetanyl is oxycodone pills, the
blue pills. It's to stamp with an M on it.
But we've also discovered a fetanyl being adultraded in xanix
(06:45):
adderall hydro codone, vicodin, cocaine, methenphetamine, and so you know,
so it's in all the drugs, all the relicid drugs
and all the pill form drugs, right, And that's why people,
this is why people are dying it because if you
take a look at fetanyl, or if you take a
(07:05):
look at you know, fetanyl and and and and lit'st
an adderall you know, ader is a fete right or
or you know, are benzodyazepine you know, like xanax, right,
you know that's to use treat you know, seizures and anxiety.
It doesn't even do the same thing to your in
your body.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
But what people you know, whether.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
They get it online or they get it through social
media applications, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
They get it from you know whoever.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And you know, they get let's say, venzodiazepine like a
like a dan x and also with fetanyl and they're
taking that xan x for you know, different reasons then
what fetanyl is supposed to do. And so when fetanyl
gets into your system, and especially the fetanol that we're
supporting fetanol that we're seeing now and then two milligrams
(07:57):
potentially with those and that's what's killing people.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
So they get them the drugs off the street or
sort of whether they call it off the street.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Know, you know they get they can get the drugs
off the street, you off the internet. You know they
can get it, you know, you know, from from the
lipid sources. Right, and that's why we urge people. You know,
you should not be taking any medication that is not
prescribed to you by a legitimate doctor and field biologimate pharmacy.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Right right.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And that's any drug that's whether adderall or whatever, any drug,
no drug, taking any.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Any drug, any prescription drugs. Right.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
You should not be taking someone off's prescription drugs. You
should not be taking it from your friends or other
family members.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
You know, it could cost you your life.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yeah, and so you're you're trying to stop the drugs
and but also catch the people involved with it too, right,
So you're you're catching these people and getting these drugs
off the street.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Then absolutely absolutely, you know we are you know, harder
work every day. You know, the men and women dedicated
Amendment of the Drug Forces, Administration and a law and
partners are hard at work every day. You know, we
are identifying criminal networks, the cartels that are driving the addiction.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Uh in here in America. You know we are you
know We're trying.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
To identify the the entire network from you know, from
source countries like Mexico and China to you know to
main Street here in the United States, right, and we're
trying to exploit that entire network. And our aim is
you know, our name is and just just a knockoff,
you know, one one, you know, one small drug.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Dealer, right.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Our aim is is the is the is the attack
entire network the infrastructure of the drug trafficking network, include
their finances, their assets, the distribution network, the transportation network,
so that we can attack the entire network and and
just destroy the entire network.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
That's our name, right, And you're you're seeing success with that,
I guess we you.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Know, we we've you know, we haven't seen success, uh
you know with you know this mathoning cartels and.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You know, but you know, there's still a lot of
work for us to do.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Come a long ways, but there's certainly a lot more
work for us to do, right And because you know
these cartels that are in Mexico, particularly the Cinema cartel,
the new generationalistical cartail better known as c G and
G and to to some extent, to look at me
a look for me, a cartel that are goes to.
(10:39):
All those three cartels are operating and have a huge
presence here in the Greater Georgia area, right, and so
you know, we are hard at work, you know, attacking
those cartels, and especially now that they've been designated foreign
terrace organizations, so that gives us you know, look, you know,
a lot more tools in a toolbox to go to
(11:00):
these cartels from harming American people.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
You know, we're thinking that it happens more in Atlanta,
but it's all over the state of Georgia, right, that's
just happening as well.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
You know, you know, you know, we see the bigger
seizures here in Atlanta just because you know, Atlanta is
a huge, huge hub for the cartels for the same
reasons why the forty five hundred companies are here doing business.
It's the same reason why the cartels send drugs here
to you know, to Atlanta for further distribution.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
This is where you know, the money.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Is collected or it comes back here once it's collective
from the different you know, small and metropolitan area cities
or meeting metropolitan area cities. But you know, we have
you know, the vast network of freeways, the business airport
in the world and the seaports, and that's why that's
why it's here. Right.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Well, I know you have DA Take Back Day on Saturday,
April twenty six, that is a take talk about that
day and that what what people should do that day
and just talk about that day.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah. So yeah, so thanks for that. And so you
know d DA.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Almost for almost for over a decade now been involved
in what we called then subscription pickback Day, right, and
it's April twenty six, the say for twenty six Saturday,
from ten am to two pm. So what we're asking
the public to do is when you know, we're asking
the public, you know, any type of prescription medication, right
that especially controlled prescription.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Medication right.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
That that are no longer in use in your household,
We're asking you to you know, bring them and drop
them off, right, no questions asked. You know, we're asking
you to help us, uh, you know, to put the
information out there and also you know, just just just
bringing use old medication that no one's using it the
house and just safety so we can see if people
(12:56):
disposed of it. Right Listen, According to the Sins Abuse
and Mental Health Service Administration. They're known samshow. You know
a great number of you know, people who become who
abuse prescription medication.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Uh, you know, it all.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Starts at the house, at the home, right you know,
by a family member or a friend, because they got
the medication from a friend or a family member that
wouldn't prescribed to them. So we want to so we
want to stop that right and again you know you
don't you know, we encourage people, you know, listen, don't
take drugs. In fact, we urge people don't take any
(13:35):
prescription medication that is not prescribed to you. And you know,
once once you're once you're done using the medication it's
been prescription. This is the safe way to discard you know,
that medication. No again, no questions to ask. You know
that we have over five thousand drop off locations nationwide
and you know you can, you know, you can visit
(13:59):
ww dot b e a TakeBack dot Com and you
can and you know, you can punch in your zip
code and it give you the closest drop off site.
And we're asking you to you know, bring you know,
bring unused medications, especially again control substances and legend drugs.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
And bring it in and so we can.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Dispose them for your property. And again and one thing
I also want to mention is that the TakeBack the
next brigets and take back day. You know, that's kind
of our das four facing you know day to encourage
people to bring prescriptions in that they're not no longer using.
But you know, it's it goes on you know, all
(14:40):
year long. Right, this is just kind of you know,
twice a year, you know, we take you know, you know,
we kind of try to to mind the public that
this you know, this is the day for it. But
you know, we have drop off locations. We have probably
around seventeen thousand drop off locations throughout the country at
any given time, any given day that you can you
(15:00):
can bring unused medication, you know, to to drop it
off in the in the location so we can expose.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
It to the property.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Are most of the drop off locations that police departments
or sheriff's offices or something you know it is it's.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Police department, police off department.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
And sheriffs offices, fire fire stations, you know, a pharmacies,
hospitals you know, getting.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Throughout should they now this is for prescription drugs. What
if they come across illegal drugs? What should they do
in case that they do come and then and not
they're not responsible for Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
So you know, listen, if you come across what you
think are illegal drugs, you know, you should call you know,
your local police department right away, right, they have them
come check it out and have them.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Take that from you.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Just so that you know, this plump in the wrong hands,
you know, you know, but we don't, you know, we
encourage you, you know, if if you said in powder
form or something like that, you do not handle it, right,
But this take back day is just for prescription medications.
But if become at any time, if you can come
across what you suspect is you know, elicit drugs in
(16:17):
powder form or even until form, right, especially in fetanyl,
it's very dangerous, right, that's very dangerous. When we handle fetanyl,
we handle it with you know, personal protective equipment, and
so you know, just a we correct the public, you know,
not to handle it on their own, and they should
call the local police to come out and investigate it
(16:39):
and to take the drugs from them.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
It's not the case.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
And what if people in their neighborhoods see something that
looks a little suspicious, maybe they think maybe they're doing
some drugs, something's going on. What should they do in
that case?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, you know, this should you know, listen, first and foremost,
they should not take actions into their own hands, right,
They shouldn't take their own hands. They should they should
call the local police and and and you know, the
police can come out and conduct the wallfar check or
you know, you know, just kind of put the eye
on it and see if they can develop you know,
some leads or or or or conducted investigation. Right, and
(17:19):
you know, should let's let's let the police handle that.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Type of stuff.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
And you know the public should be aware throughout.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
The Atlanta, Georgia area. You know, you know we've found
you know.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Rental properties where the cartails have used it, as as
as as.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Labsine labs, right, which is very dangerous. It has very
dangerous chemicals and you know it's it's they converted you know,
liquid methamphetamine into into solids and uh, you know, we've
we've rated places where where you know, became an active lab.
It's very dangerous, right, So you know, we we created
(17:58):
the public to be you know, vigilant, but you know, please.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Don't take masters put on.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I've noticed that those active places that houses in regular neighborhoods,
just regular neighborhoods. There there's a house there and they
raided all of a sudden. That's wild.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Yeah, right, you're absolutely right, right, And so you know,
the criminal elements push the drug traps because they want
to blend in, right, they want to blend in, and
they don't want to look, they don't't to stand down
and suspicious. So you know though, you know, they'll rent
homes in your regular neighborhoods throughout throughout our areas, and
they'll keep us keep a little profile, right, And it's
(18:36):
not until you know, whether you know, whether it be
the d A or or or other lawfuls and partners,
we conduct an investigation and we learned that that's where
the staff location is or or a potential lab exists,
and you know that's that's when we conduct the raids.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Yeah, and I've noticed too, I haven't noticed. I've I've
heard of extended to stay hotels. They they do it
too in there and one will blow up.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah, you know, so it's you know, it's wherever they
can you know they can stay. You know, it's sometimes
they'll stay there for you know limit, you know, a
limited period they're waiting to meet up with someone they're
waiting for you know, they are distributors to come through
to pick up their you know portion you know, of
the lists of drugs, math or heroin or fatana.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Cocaine will be it. You know.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
So yeah, you know, you get you know, here in Atlanta,
you know, we are list when it comes.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
To math, we are probably you know, we're probably up.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
There in terms of like METS seizures or or like
cont the amount of quantities of meth that we're seeing
and seizing.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Here in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
I mean we're seeing you know Mountscat normally. You know,
it's it's is seen in near the Southast border right
where where they're stashing things, stashing maths and stash house
there before throughout the States, and we're seeing those type
of quantities. In fact, last year we had you know
a couple of events where it was the third largest
(20:06):
METS seizure.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
In in d A. And you may have heard about that,
and that's.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
When it was concealed in Celery and it was it
was you know, we sees it at the at the
state farmer's market, that that that type of quantity isn't
isn't normally seen here, you know, it's normally that type
of quantity is usually seen, you know, down the top
of the border when the cartels are you know, swarming and
(20:33):
through the tunnels, or it is coming through the support
of entries and it's staging you know, on the US
side of the border. But now it's coming here in
big stage here because we are you know, Atlanta. It's
basically we're supplying up and down the eastern seaboard, you know,
probably all the way far north as parts of Virginia
(20:57):
and down south all throughout probably Orlando and Jacksonville area
not mentioned obviously, you know, Tennessee, bus Kentucky, you know, Mississippi, Alabama.
You know, we're supplying all those, you know, all those
you know, the drugs that are coming to Atlanta, are
supplying all those all the states.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
So so in addition to fentanyl, you still have myth
and marijuana and cocaine and everything's just everywhere.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Out there right listen, and I would tell you for
your listeners, we were seeing a we were seeing rising
in cocaine. Okay, here in Atlanta and throughout the nation.
Uh da, you know, we were seeing rising cocaine. Meth
is still prevalent. You know, we've probably see more meths
here than we do fetanyl. But you know, but I
(21:44):
will also say that you know, you know, we have
we have as of late, we have seen our mount
of ftanel here. We've sived or not fetanoel, whether it
be in powder.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Form or whether it's in peel form.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Uh. You know, recently a couple of weeks ago, we
see the largest fatanyl uh we're the largest faetanyl seizure
in pill form approximate twentyred and forty thousand pills that
we see here with our partners from Sandy Springs.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
And listen that that is alarm. You don't see the.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Consoles kind of numbers, you know, I know we have
it in the past.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
You know. Listen, we see.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Twenty thousand pills, ten thousand pills that we've never see,
you know, pills and the hundreds of thousands. And that
person also has five kilograms of cocaine. I've excuse me,
five kildrems of fatanyl powder fetanyl. You know, so it's
you know, it's it's here, and you know, we appreciate
(22:41):
you know, folks like you are in your station that
are wanted to talk to us, so we help, you know,
so we get the word out and you can help
us get the word out of the danger of you know,
fetanyl and other listed drugs. I mean, because at the
end of the day, you know, education prevention, you know,
it's plays a big part in in you know, in
(23:02):
curbing the overdose you know, over those poisoning rate here
in the United States. And I think the CDC recently
published some numbers where from from I think October one
of twenty twenty three to September and the September twenty
(23:22):
twenty four, you know, there has been a decline in
over those poisonings.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Good.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
I believe the numbers are from somewhere to like one
hundred and fourteen thousand to about a seven thousand, so
you know, so that's that's positive news, you know, but
we still have.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
A lot of work to do.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah, well, we appreciate you your people out there doing
it for us, and you can't know how much we
appreciate that. And of course DA Take Back Day is Saturday, Saturday,
April or twenty six, and we'll encourage everybody to take
what you have at home and find out where to
get it and take it away, be done with.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
It right absolutely absolutely, We're you know listen, I mean,
if you don't need the medication anymore any longer, we
encourage you to to you know, to find a location
nears to you and and just drop it off. We
had no questions asked. It goes to April twenty six
from ten am to two pm. And again that website
(24:22):
to find the location nears to you, the e A
take back dot com. Uh and again you know this,
you know this is you know, this is something we promote,
you know on this day. It's kind of four facing
for us. But again you don't have to wait you know,
until you know, until we not this you know take
back day. There are locations available, seventeen thousand rots available
(24:45):
throughout the country that you can go to to any
given time and drop off you know, unwanted medication. So
we encourage, we encurage the public to do so.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Definitely do definitely do. I appreciate you taking time to
do this because what you're doing out there is really
great work. And thank you for doing what you're doing.
Thank you so much and thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
That's Jay Chung. He's Atlanta's acting Special Agent in charge
for the de A talking about DA take Back Day Saturday,
April twenty six. Go to d e A TakeBack dot
com d e A TakeBack dot Com to find out
where you go to take your drugs back. If you
have questions or comments about today's show, you can email
(25:27):
me John Clark at Georgiannewsnetwork dot com. Thanks for listening.
I'll talk to you next week right here on your
local radio station, Georgia Focus
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