Also known as: heroin
Two major drug trafficking investigations in North Carolina and Tennessee have led to over 30 arrests combined. The North Carolina case resulted in more than 170 charges after seizing cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, guns and cash. In Tennessee, 15 individuals were indicted for conspiring to distribute cocaine, with seizures including fentanyl, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms and cash.
Police in Karachi, Kentucky and Indiana arrested three suspects in separate drug investigations involving alleged trafficking in Ice, methamphetamine and cocaine. One case involved a controlled purchase, while another led to the seizure of nearly 60 grams of cocaine and a firearm.
More than 2,700 drivers were arrested for drug-related offences in January as authorities expanded roadside inspections and medical testing. Separate road safety checks in Keighley recorded 17 offences, including one drug-driving arrest.
The Trump administration moved to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. The change is expected to ease research restrictions but will not immediately legalize marijuana.
Laurel police said four people were arrested and one more is wanted after a two-month-long drug investigation. Officers said they found heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and a .38 caliber handgun at a Laurel apartment complex home.
Officials in Kentucky, the Carolinas and Tennessee are warning about cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid reportedly up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl. Authorities say it has been tied to overdose deaths and may require more Narcan to reverse overdoses.
Knox County officials are seeking restrictions on cychlorphine after the synthetic opioid was detected in 41 overdose deaths in and around Knox County. The drug is described as extremely potent, not detectable through most test kits, and may require repeated naloxone doses in an overdose.
U.S. overdose deaths declined 19% year-over-year to 72,108 for the 12 months ending September 2025, but the drug market is evolving with dangerous polydrug cocktails like "pink cocaine" and "rhino tranq" that are harder to detect and reverse. These synthetic blends combine fentanyl with stimulants, sedatives, and veterinary tranquilizers, creating new public health challenges as naloxone becomes less effective against complex overdoses.
