During a property and narcotics investigation, around 8 a.m. on Oct. 24, at Old Redwood Highway, Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two suspects and confiscated 40,000 fentanyl pills. 

In Sonoma County, there has been an increasing amount of fentanyl circulating around the area. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine, but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a Schedule II prescription drug, and it is typically used to treat patients with severe pain or to manage pain after surgery. The county’s police have made many arrests and confiscated an ample supply of the drug. This is an ongoing nationwide problem, and many are trying to find ways to prevent the spread and deaths caused by fentanyl. 

Jennifer Zografos, 37, and Cesar Olvera-Cornejo, 35, were arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale, transporting narcotics for sale, and conspiracy. In addition, they both had two other arrest warrants for other alleged crimes. Currently, at Sonoma County Jail, Zografos is in custody with a $1 million bail while Olivera-Cornejo is being held without bail. 

 In the past four years, fentanyl has contributed to 500 deaths in Sonoma County. According to an interview with the Press Democrat, Petaluma Vice Mayor Brian Barnacle stated, “Fifty-two deaths is a lot. It’s clear that fentanyl is an under-reported problem in our community. This is clearly something we need to be focused on.” 

There has been widespread use of drugs in Sonoma County, which can be dangerous when falling into the wrong hands since there is a substantial amount of college students in the county.

In the law enforcement ranks, fentanyl has stirred fear due to the increasing overdose deaths. As a result, this has urged agencies to require protective gear, outsource testing and administer anti-opioid drugs to police officers in case they come in contact with the substance. 

Petaluma police have started to carry naloxone which is an anti-opioid drug that reverses the effects of overdoses.  For the first time, it was used on a police officer due to a possible exposure. Petaluma Police Deputy Chief, Brian Miller spoke about officers touching fentanyl, raising concerns about how the skin absorbs the substance and a small amount can lead to an overdose. 

According to federal data, during the pandemic, deaths from drug overdoses have skyrocketed across the country and more than 90,000 lives were lost last year. At the moment, Senator Scott Wiener and other lawmakers are pushing to allow Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco to have a hygienic space supervised by trained staff where people can use pre obtained drugs, get sterile supplies, and connect for substance use disorder. Supervised or safe consumption legally exists in Canada, Germany, and Netherlands, which has been attributed with reducing risks of infectious diseases, cutting back on public nuisances and hazards such as discarded needles, and preventing deaths. 

The mayor of Petaluma, Teresa Barret, wanted to see more focus on the fentanyl epidemic, and stated, “I think it is something that needs attention and education, something more targeted and at a higher level than DARE or SROs in schools, neither of which I see as effective for this particular issue”.

Ultimately, the battle for fentanyl in Sonoma County is still ongoing, and many of the authorities are doing their best to prevent the spread of fentanyl to go further than it should; this battle against fentanyl is also being fought around the world. With this in mind, the Sonoma County authorities may someday turn to the different methods that the other countries are using to avoid the fentanyl epidemic worsening.