Meth And Fentanyl Overdoses Jump Substantially in Oklahoma

The number of overdoses in Oklahoma has increased drastically in recent years due to an influx of methamphetamine and fentanyl, said the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBN).

In 2022, there were 1265 overdose deaths in Oklahoma, nearly double the amount in 2018, which saw 665 deaths, according to statistics provided by OBN. As for the overall number of overdoses in the state, there were 341 cases caused by meth in 2018, the OBN stats showed. In 2022, the amount of meth overdoses increased to 737.

Mark Woodward, public information officer at OBN, said meth has been the deadliest drug in Oklahoma for the past 30 years. While there are fewer meth labs compared to years past, Woodward said more meth is coming into the state because of Mexican cartels. "Fifteen years ago, they started moving five or 10 pounds at a time. Now, we're seeing loads as much as 100, 250 pounds at a time," said Woodward.

One of the people responsible for the influx of meth in Oklahoma is 32-year-old Luis Jacobo, of Bakersfield, California. Investigators said he sent more than 2,000 pounds of meth into Oklahoma and Missouri and claimed to have made $30 million. This week, a federal judge ordered Jacobo to serve life in prison. "We intercepted 231 pounds in just one storage locker up in Grove, Oklahoma, that was tied back to this individual's shipment," said Woodward.

Another case involving meth happened at an Oklahoma City home, where OBN agents seized $27,529 and nearly 60 pounds of meth last month, according to an affidavit for a search warrant. Agents arrested a man, who was with his 4-year-old daughter, on site. They later arrested another man related to the case, the affidavit said. While Woodward said he could not speak specifically about that case because it's an ongoing investigation, he said broadly that meth is oftentimes linked to other types of offenses.  "There's so much other effects involving property crime, identity theft, copper thefts - there's so much collateral issues associated with the meth problem here in Oklahoma," said Woodward.

Meanwhile, the number of fentanyl overdoses went from 39 in 2018 to 619 in 2022, according to OBN. "(Cartels) started capitalizing on our opioid crisis and using the cheaper powerful fentanyl to stamp it and press it to look like U.S. counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax," said Woodward. "Now, we're seeing fentanyl being used to cut into methamphetamine, we're finding it in cocaine, we even found it in marijuana that tested positive."