LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A man from Santa Clarita has been arraigned following an indictment alleging he sold a synthetic opioid that is up to three times more powerful than fentanyl, resulting in a fatal overdose last April.
According to a press release from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 21-year-old Benjamin Anthony Collins is charged with distributing the narcotic protonitazene, causing the death of a 22-year-old man from LA County.
This is believed to be the first death-resulting criminal case associated with protonitazene in the United States, according to the DEA.
On April 19, Collins allegedly sold the narcotic to the victim who later died shortly afterward, according to the indictment. Reportedly, Collins planned to sell a bulk supply to the victim in the future.
Collins was arrested on Nov. 18 and pled not guilty to the charge. He is being held without bond. His trial date is set for Jan. 14, 2025.
This incident is under investigation by the DEA and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
According to the National Library of Medicine, protonitazene is a novel class of synthetic opioids and is stronger and more potent than other narcotics, such as fentanyl and morphine.
The effects of protonitazene are unpredictable, but naloxone (Narcan) may still be used to reverse the effects of the opioid in the case of an overdose.
