Ogg on formation of new fentanyl task force: 'We have more people dying of this than murder'

Harris County and City of Houston law enforcement officials announced the formation of a task force to combat fentanyl trafficking, according to reports from Houston-based media outlets. 

Harris County District Attorney (DA) Kim Ogg said on Wednesday that the drug has claimed more people’s lives than homicides.

“We have more people dying of this than murder,” Ogg said, Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported. 

The station reported that opioid overdoses account for 49% of the county’s 1,096 drug deaths last year, with 74% of the overdoses being those of adolescents and young adults. 

Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that the new task force will consist of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Houston Police Department (HPD), Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), Pasadena Police Department (PPD) and Ogg’s office.

Per authorities, the station reported, fentanyl doesn’t discriminate as all socioeconomic groups are affected. 

"It’s impacting all of us … Every group we can think of,” Ogg, a Democrat, said, according to KPRC. 

Leaders have occasionally reached out to families regarding fentanyl, and prosecutors have lent their assistance to the investigation of fatal overdose cases, which are treated as homicides, KPRC reported.

DEA special agent in charge Daniel C. Comeaux said in the report that social media attributed to children’s fentanyl deaths.

“We have far too many kids overdosing,” Comeaux said, KPRC reported.

According to Houston CW affiliate KIAH, fentanyl is nearly 50 times stronger than heroin and double the amount stronger than morphine, with victims often unaware they’re taking illicitly manufactured fentanyl because of the ubiquity of counterfeit drugs.

KHOU reported that Houston Police Officers’ Union (HPOU) President Doug Griffith lauded the announcement, but believes more funding and staffing are necessary for the crime lab to investigate the drugs. 

“Our officers are out there doing the job,” Griffith said in the report. “They’re tagging narcotics every single day, but we are unable to catch up with the testing, and until we can catch up with the testing, we’re going to have judges that are going to toss these cases saying no PC (probable cause) just for the test alone. We’ve got to find a way around that.”

According to KHOU, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez called for parents to keep a watchful eye on their children to protect them from the drug.

“Be a nosy parent,” Gonzalez said, the station reported. “Go into the bedrooms. Know the passcodes as well.”