Mother warns of fentanyl dangers after daughter dies amid spike in related deaths around US

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Mother warns of fentanyl dangers after daughter dies as US cities see spike in related deaths

Patricia Saldivar and former DEA agent Derek Maltz discussed the ongoing trend as U.S. officials have seized over 10,000 pounds of fentanyl in 2021.

A mother who lost her daughter to a fentanyl overdose, Patricia Saldivar, encouraged other parents to talk with their children about the dangers of fentanyl and laced prescription pills as cities across the country continue to grapple with the ongoing drug crisis. Saldivar appeared on "America's Newsroom" Monday urging those watching to educate themselves. 

"I want to put a stop to this," Saldivar told co-host Dana Perino. "I want people to get educated because I wasn't aware of this before this happened, and I want them to educate themselves, talk to their kids about it." 

DRUG SEIZURES OF FENTANYL, METH SEE UPTICK ALONG SOUTHWEST BORDER: DEA

U.S. officials have seized around 10,000 pounds of fentanyl just this year alone, as many cities in the country have seen spikes in related deaths. 

Saldivar was joined by a former special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Derek Maltz, who discussed the ongoing crisis which is affecting all portions of the country and praised officials for the work they are doing to intercept the fatal pills. 

"The DEA and our Border Patrol and Homeland Security, they're doing a lot to stop it, that's saving lives every day," Maltz said. "The DEA put out a warning that they seized 9.5 million pills already, but this is the key, Dana, 40% of those pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl."

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Maltz also highlighted the importance of securing the southern border as it relates to combatting the ongoing drug crisis. 

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"It's very interesting that the supply chain to corporate America has been slowed down," Maltz stated. "We can't get the shifts in the country, but the tsunami of drugs from the Mexican terror cartels are [sic] bombing our communities and our kids are dying at record levels."

Earlier this month, Customs and Border Patrol intercepted $1.2 million worth of cocaine and fentanyl in two separate encounters in Pharr, Texas. 

This incident isn't isolated, however, as officials have seized around 311,000 pounds of marijuana, 180,000 pounds of meth, 86,000 pounds of cocaine, 5,000 pounds of heroin, and 10,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border during fiscal year 2021.