Dangerous drug cocktails in Orlando pose new threats

In Orlando, a new wave of dangerous drug cocktails is putting lives at risk as dealers mix xylazine and nitazenes with fentanyl, creating potent combinations that are difficult to reverse with naloxone.Lauren Sumeersarnauth, a substance abuse victim advocate with the Orlando police, responds to overdose scenes and supports victims’ families and survivors.”I’m on call 24/7, and it can happen any time, any day,” she said.Sumeersarnauth explained that meeting with families in shock and extreme grief can bring them comfort and peace.She also helps overdose survivors struggling with addiction get the treatment they need.”It only takes one time for someone to lose their life. Unfortunately, any drug you purchase from the street is extremely dangerous; there’s lots of different things laced into the drugs,” she said.The DEA’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment highlights the rise of drug cocktails, with xylazine, a veterinary sedative often referred to as a horse tranquilizer, becoming a common additive.Roger Handberg, a former federal prosecutor, said, “Fast forward 2024, xylazine rocketed to number one on that list, and so it’s by far and away the most prevalent thing that gets mixed with fentanyl.”He explained that dealers mix xylazine, also known as “tranq,” with other illicit drugs to prolong the high and add bulk cheaply.”Xylazine is used in veterinary medicine, a lot of times, people will think of it as a horse tranquilizer, its a sedative,” Handberg said.Xylazine is particularly dangerous because it is not an opioid, meaning naloxone spray cannot reverse its effects.”It can be extremely sedative, unfortunately, and lower your respiratory rate so you’re not breathing, and that’s ultimately how people pass away from it,” Sumeersarnauth said.Despite a 35% decrease in fentanyl-related deaths in Florida last year, new drugs like nitazenes are emerging.”We’ve made significant progress; however, there are new drugs coming on the market, such as nitazenes,” Sumeersarnauth said.Nitazenes are synthetic opioids mixed with fentanyl to increase potency.”They’re looking for other things that they can put into these concoctions to make them more potent, so fentanyl is 100x more potent than morphine; these nitazenes are even more powerful than fentanyl,” Handberg said.While serving as the U.S. Attorney in Florida’s Middle District, Handberg targeted Chinese nationals and companies trafficking precursor chemicals for synthetic opioids.An unsealed indictment from October 2023 reveals “online advertisements for the sale and distribution of protonitazene and metonitazene.”Sumeersarnauth expressed concern about these emerging threats, saying, “Oh, I’m very concerned. Unfortunately, we have a hold on a lot of Narcan and distributing Narcan, but if these drugs are more powerful than what Narcan can bring back, that its going to take additional lives.”

ORLANDO, Fla. —

In Orlando, a new wave of dangerous drug cocktails is putting lives at risk as dealers mix xylazine and nitazenes with fentanyl, creating potent combinations that are difficult to reverse with naloxone.

Lauren Sumeersarnauth, a substance abuse victim advocate with the Orlando police, responds to overdose scenes and supports victims’ families and survivors.

“I’m on call 24/7, and it can happen any time, any day,” she said.

Sumeersarnauth explained that meeting with families in shock and extreme grief can bring them comfort and peace.

She also helps overdose survivors struggling with addiction get the treatment they need.

“It only takes one time for someone to lose their life. Unfortunately, any drug you purchase from the street is extremely dangerous; there’s lots of different things laced into the drugs,” she said.

The DEA’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment highlights the rise of drug cocktails, with xylazine, a veterinary sedative often referred to as a horse tranquilizer, becoming a common additive.

Roger Handberg, a former federal prosecutor, said, “Fast forward 2024, xylazine rocketed to number one on that list, and so it’s by far and away the most prevalent thing that gets mixed with fentanyl.”

He explained that dealers mix xylazine, also known as “tranq,” with other illicit drugs to prolong the high and add bulk cheaply.

“Xylazine is used in veterinary medicine, a lot of times, people will think of it as a horse tranquilizer, its a sedative,” Handberg said.

Xylazine is particularly dangerous because it is not an opioid, meaning naloxone spray cannot reverse its effects.

“It can be extremely sedative, unfortunately, and lower your respiratory rate so you’re not breathing, and that’s ultimately how people pass away from it,” Sumeersarnauth said.

Despite a 35% decrease in fentanyl-related deaths in Florida last year, new drugs like nitazenes are emerging.

“We’ve made significant progress; however, there are new drugs coming on the market, such as nitazenes,” Sumeersarnauth said.

Nitazenes are synthetic opioids mixed with fentanyl to increase potency.

“They’re looking for other things that they can put into these concoctions to make them more potent, so fentanyl is 100x more potent than morphine; these nitazenes are even more powerful than fentanyl,” Handberg said.

While serving as the U.S. Attorney in Florida’s Middle District, Handberg targeted Chinese nationals and companies trafficking precursor chemicals for synthetic opioids.

An unsealed indictment from October 2023 reveals “online advertisements for the sale and distribution of protonitazene and metonitazene.”

Sumeersarnauth expressed concern about these emerging threats, saying, “Oh, I’m very concerned. Unfortunately, we have a hold on a lot of Narcan and distributing Narcan, but if these drugs are more powerful than what Narcan can bring back, that its going to take additional lives.”