Police Say Two Men Arrested With Fentanyl in Dutchess County

Unfortunately, deaths tied to fentanyl continue to rise across the country.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, New York state had the third-highest total deaths from fentanyl in 2022, with 4,950. If you adjust for population, that's 25.0 deaths per 100K people.

The CDC says that fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

See Also: Prosecutors Say New York Man Ran 'Breaking Bad-Style Drug Lab'

However, law enforcement recently made two arrests in Poughkeepsie that will hopefully get at least some of the deadly drugs off local streets.

New York State Police Arrest Two in Poughkeepsie 

New York State Police said in a press release that they arrested two men early morning of February 27.

Both a 58-year-old New York City man and a 40-year-old man also from New York City, were arrested for 3rd-degree criminal possession of controlled substance with intent to sell, which is a class B felony, says State Police.

Troopers say they observed a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica operating on Columbus Drive in Poughkeepsie without headlights around 1:45 AM. State Police say they pulled the vehicle over, and an ensuing investigation determined the driver was driving with a suspended license, and under the influence of drugs.

A further investigation discovered both suspects were in possession of approximately 6.8 grams of fentanyl and 0.4 grams of crack cocaine.

Both subjects were arraigned at the City of Poughkeepsie Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail without bail.

Both are facing numerous other charges, says State Police.

Fentanyl Stats Across New York State 

The DEA’s New York Division reports that they seized 1.9 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and 1,958 pounds of fentanyl which is the equivalent of 72 million lethal doses in 2022. Their numbers say that is a 152% increase from 2021 alone.

See Also: Police Say New York State Man Arrested in Home Depot Parking Lot For Drugs

The following video is a YouTube documentary from the Seattle Channel. "The Fight Against Fentanyl," is a documentary from October 2023, about the deadly synthetic opioid responsible for claiming the lives of 150 Americans daily.