Treasure Coast residents, agencies struggle with fentanyl, opioids (2024)

Pattie Roberts said her son died in 2018 after overdosing on heroin laced with fentanyl, an extremely powerful opioid linked to at least hundreds of deaths in the area in recent years.

Daniel “Danny” Roberts, 22, had anxiety and battled addiction for eight years, she said. He “was in and out of a minimum of 14 rehabs and recoveries.”

“I miss him with every breath I take,” said Pattie Roberts, 66, who moved to Port St. Lucie from Wisconsin in 2006.

Since Danny Roberts' death, fentanyl-caused overdose deaths have been increasing on the Treasure Coast. Each policing agency contacted has called fentanyl a top drug problem.

The year he died, the medical examiner's office that covers Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties reported fentanyl — 50 times more potent than heroin — caused 64 deaths in those it examined, according to a state report. Heroin caused an additional four.

In 2020, fentanyl caused 134 deaths; heroin caused just 1. In 2022, the latest year for which annual statistics are available, fentanyl caused 139 deaths; none were attributed to heroin.

The numbers are greater if fentanyl analog-caused deaths are included. Fentanyl analogs are derivatives of pure fentanyl, with a slightly different chemical makeup.

‘Fentanyl is the No. 1 challenge’

Following a number of recent arrests, large drug seizures and criminal cases on the Treasure Coast, fentanyl and opioids do not appear to be fast fading.

Port St. Lucie Police Acting Chief Richard Del Toro minced no words in describing the scope and significance of fentanyl.

“Based on the number of deaths, nationwide, and within the state of Florida and our county and city, fentanyl across the board is the No. 1 challenge in this country for drugs,” Del Toro said.

His agency in July 2023 made what was described as the largest fentanyl bust in city history, seizing 10,000 pills weighing more than 2 pounds.

Following an October 2023 arrest by Port St. Lucie police, Edwin Lewis Thompson was sentenced in March to 15 years in prison in connection with the fentanyl death in 2022 of 34-year-old Michael McGaffin.

“We've seen repeat victims who have gotten clean, and don't necessarily have the tolerance anymore, they go back to using the same amounts,” Del Toro said. “The next thing you know, it's resulting in an overdose death.”

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said fentanyl is his county’s biggest drug issue because it results in the most deaths.

“Of all the drugs, alcohol and cigarettes and all the mess that's out there, there's probably nothing harder to get someone to permanently stay off of thanopioids,” Snyder said.

In February, Snyder’s agency announced the arrest of Sean Lamont Bray, of West Palm Beach, on manslaughter and other charges after the May 2023 reported overdose death of 40-year-old Katherine Dumont, of Palm City.

In Indian River County, sheriff’s Sgt. Greg Stanley labeled fentanyl and methamphetamine as “our two biggest issues right now.” Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.

Stanley said investigators have at times determined some fentanyl likely comes from China.

“Our fear, obviously, is the stronger forms of fentanyl that could potentially show up here,” he said. “They're way, way more powerful than the versions that we usually see.”

Stanley estimated his agency responds to about one overdose call a day, which could be a street drug overdose, medication or accidental overdose.

“These are way more prevalent than they used to be,” he said.

Keyon Lewis, of Indian River County, in February pleaded guilty in federal court to distribution of fentanyl, the use of which resulted in another person’s death, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Lewis admitted in November 2021 selling fentanyl to a man in Vero Beach, who was found dead the next day by his wife.

Pattie Roberts said over the last six years she’s educated herself on addiction, noting it doesn’t discriminate. It’s important, she said, that people know about the opioid reversal agent Narcan — the brand name for naloxone — and to have it.

She said when her son overdosed in 2017, it took four to five doses of Narcan to revive him.

“It's a lot,” Pattie Roberts said. “But that's what law enforcement is finding now, with the level of fentanyl that's out there.”

St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson and sheriff’s spokesperson Tonya Woodworth did not respond to an inquiry for this story. They have not responded to repeated inquiries in recent weeks.

Local law enforcement agencies carry Narcan, which also is administered by fire rescue agencies. Martin County Fire Rescue, for example, gave naloxone to 103 patients in 2018; 147 patients in 2020; and 101 patients in 2023, records show.

Chris Kammel, Martin County Fire Rescue bureau chief of rescue, said giving Narcan to a person not overdosing on opioids won’t cause harm.

“A layperson can use it,” he said. “It's only going to work if there'sopioids in the person's system.”

Statewide in 2022, there were 8,012 opioid-related deaths reported, a 5 percent decrease compared to the year before, according to a report entitled Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners. The opioids either caused the death or were present in the body.

Fentanyl was the most frequently occurring drug found in decedents in 2022, followed closely by ethyl alcohol, the report shows. Fentanyl caused the most deaths statewide.

Gov. Ron DeSantis in April signed two bills and expanded the state's addiction recovery program, saying the measures would bolster the state's fight against the overdose crisis.

‘You’ve got to talk about them’

Pattie Roberts said in some cases those with addiction issues also have mental health issues.

“They become clean and sober and say, ‘Hey, I'm better now. I'm not using anymore,’” Pattie Roberts said. “Well, the underlying mental health issues are still there.”

She recalled a conversation with her son in which he said he had anxiety since he was in the eighth or ninth grade, and “he started self-medicating after that.”

Still, mental health and addiction can be overcome.

“You've got to talk about them, you have to seek out treatment, you have to admit that this is beyond me,” Pattie Roberts said. “I just can't do it on my own.”

Del Toro said Port St. Lucie Police have a grant-funded detective involved with “trying to help repeat victims of overdoses get the necessary help they need through treatment and care.”

“It's kind of like having a repeat problem we go to. We analyze the problem, we institute proven measures that are going to work, and we see if it’s going to work,” he said. “We’re taking the same approach to this.”

To those struggling with addiction, Pattie Roberts said communication is key.

“Talk about it with anyone and everyone, because the more we cover this up, the more this stuff stays in my home, in my kitchen,” she said.

‘Real solution’

Snyder said he believes an answer is “a systemic change in society.”

“A real solution resides with the individual, with families, churches, synagogues, schools,” he said. “The demand is the problem, the whole border/drug issue, and the thousands and tens of thousands of deaths in Mexico, all stem from American drug users.”

As long as people want drugs, he said, people will get them, even if it’s illegal.

“Our part is to make as little of it accessible as possible, try to dissuade people because it's against the law and you risk incarceration and a felony record,” Snyder said. “We do our best, but we're not the answer. The answer is society.”

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Will Greenleeis a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X@OffTheBeatTweetor reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him atwill.greenlee@tcpalm.com.