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Houston Police report that a plague of rats is devouring drugs seized in their warehouses

Nearly 400,000 pounds of marijuana have been stored for years in the facilities of the district attorney's office and the Houston Police Department.

Agentes de narcóticos de la Policía de Houston

Houston Police narcotics agents.AFP

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Rats have infested the Houston Police Department's evidence warehouse and consumed seized drugs, including marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms, that were evidence in criminal cases. That, at least, is what city authorities claim.

Democratic Mayor John Whitmire revealed the problem and affirmed that 400,000 pounds of marijuana are stored in police warehouses.

The department's evidence room houses more than 1.2 million items, some of which date back decades. Among them is material from a 1947 homicide and narcotics seized in the 1990s. The volume of evidence in storage has made pest control a constant challenge, authorities say. Exterminators have been hired, but the problem persists.

City authorities plan to destroy old evidence. Narcotics obtained before 2015 will be removed in coordination with the Harris County district attorney's office. District Attorney Sean Teare described the move as a necessary step to address systemic problems.

The infestation affects court proceedings. Defense attorneys in more than 3,600 open drug-related cases have been notified about possible evidence tampering. So far, only one case has been directly affected. In that case, rats gained access to a bag containing hallucinogenic mushrooms.

This problem is not unique to Houston. In 2024, the New Orleans Police Department reported a similar problem. Rats in its evidence room consumed marijuana, raising concerns about storage practices.

The Houston Police Department is under pressure to improve its evidence management. Experts point to the need for regular audits and tighter controls to maintain the integrity of criminal cases.

The city's response highlights a broader problem facing law enforcement. Overcrowded warehouses and inadequate pest control can jeopardize critical evidence for the judicial system.

Officials acknowledge the severity of the problem. Police Chief J. Noe Diaz pointed out the challenge of managing such a vast inventory. Mayor Whitmire emphasized the need to find urgent solutions to prevent further loss or damage.

At the moment, work is underway to clean up and reorganize the evidence room. The city wants to ensure that this type of incident does not happen again.

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