Drug drama in Argentina: At least 17 users are dead after consuming adulterated cocaine.
The number of victims could be even higher, since there are first indications that more people are dying, reports dpa, citing the newspaper “La Nación” and the television station TN.
56 other drug users were taken to the hospital with severe symptoms of poisoning, it said on Wednesday, citing security circles. Investigators said the death toll could rise.
What makes the drug so life-threatening?
► Initial investigations suggest a rival drug dealer poisoned the drugs to put the rival out of business, sources said.
Buenos Aires Provincial Security Minister Sergio Berni called on all users to refrain from using drugs purchased in the past 24 hours.
“Substances have been added to the cocaine to create more volume, and sometimes these substances are very toxic,” Berni said during a raid on a slum just outside Buenos Aires.
► A second hypothesis was that the victims had used the opiate fentanyl instead of cocaine. The drug is considered to be significantly stronger than heroin and can be deadly even in small doses. Fentanyl is a driver of the opioid crisis in the US, killing tens of thousands a year.
Compared to other Latin American countries, Argentina does not suffer from massive conflicts between the large drug cartels. However, local clans in the slums in the outskirts of the metropolises are fighting hard for business areas and zones of influence. In the so-called villas, drugs are often sold out of veritable bunkers.