Opioid overdose rates in Abilene have decreased significantly after a major crackdown on fentanyl traffickers, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton.

Data from the Abilene Police Department, collected by OD MAP, indicates that from January 1, 2024, to September 11, 2024, there were 41 overdoses in Abilene, including nine fatalities. The average was approximately 4.9 overdoses per month, with victims ranging in age from 13 to 72.

A federal grand jury indicted 12 alleged fentanyl traffickers on September 11. They were arrested the following week and are being held pending trial.

Following these arrests, only three non-fatal overdoses occurred through the end of the year in Abilene. This brought the monthly average down to about 0.8 overdoses.

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office reports that the street price of fentanyl pills has increased from around $8 per pill to between $20 and $30 per pill. This price hike has made fentanyl less accessible to at-risk individuals.

“This is precisely why the U.S. Attorney’s Office does the work it does – and why I am proud to have led the Northern District of Texas for the past two years,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “To see our fentanyl prosecutions having tangible impacts on the lives of the people of Abilene is immensely gratifying. I want to laud the hard work of our local law enforcement partners, especially the Abilene Police Department and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, for helping to make this happen.”

As of now, ten out of twelve defendants indicted on September 11 have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The remaining two await trial and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Agencies involved in combating fentanyl trafficking in this region include the Abilene Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration's Dallas Field Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office—all part of North Texas HIDTA and OCDETF Program efforts. The Fort Worth Branch of the United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) aim to identify and dismantle high-level drug traffickers and criminal organizations threatening national security using a multi-agency approach combining federal, state, and local law enforcement resources against these networks.