Former drug dealer on mission to prevent overdose deaths after harrowing past: Rebellion ‘led me to crime'
In 2022, Milwaukee suffered 491 lethal overdoses, according to the Milwaukee County Overdose Dashboard
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A former drug dealer who served time in prison is on a mission to save lives.
After leaving a troubling life of crime, Pancho Mercado launched Team HAVOC, a nonprofit organization in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that is fighting against the nation's growing opioid epidemic – which robbed the lives of 491 people in the city alone last year.
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"Throughout the country, our state prison system don't [sic] have the resource to actually help and rehabilitate someone… It wasn't until I got federally indicted for dealing drugs when I went to the federal prison system that you get involved with psychiatrists and psychologists," Mercado explained, during an appearance on "Fox & Friends Weekend."
"They actually look deep down within a person and they can help you find the reasons to why you're acting out, which is what brought an awakening to me. I was able to identify why I had went from a gifted and talented student to a gang member, drug dealer, etc.," he continued.
Mercado detailed a pivotal time in his childhood when a Catholic priest called "Father Bob" from Milwaukee had begun molesting the young Mercado from ages 8 to 12. Mercado shared that the "only recourse" his parents had at the time was to send him back to Mexico after the school year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"When I came back, I rebelled because I was like, 'I didn't do nothing wrong. You know, I'm only a kid.' And that led me to crime, to act out, to lash out."
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"We just try to tend to the addicts, to hear their story. To try finding the why's within them, to help us help them – like I was helped."
As a way to right his wrongs, Mercado launched Team HAVOC, which is an acronym for "together everyone achieves more helping another volunteer or cause." The organization distributes free Narcan, fentanyl testing kits, and even "life-saving literature" to the Milwaukee community.
"We get it all donated. I run a painting and remodeling company here in Milwaukee, so I use money that I earn there to purchase the stuff when we can't get it," Mercado said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We just try to tend to the addicts, to hear their story, to try finding the why's within them, to help us help them – like I was helped," he continued.
"A lot of these people don't have access to treatment centers, especially here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As many of you guys know, we're the most segregated city in the United States. Anything and everything for treatment is [sic] outside of our city. We tried to bring in a community group here that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, running medical services. And we were shut down," Mercado concluded.
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"I was part of the problem. That's why I'm out here trying to be part of the solution now," Mercado previously told Milwaukee's WISN.