Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for ending "easy bail for criminals" in reference to a judge's verdict to free four suspects accused of running a major fentanyl lab in Houston.
The governor posted on Twitter that the news was "outrageous." He mentioned that the operation that led to the suspects’ arrests "could have killed thousands of people."
This is outrageous (...) Texas officials busted a major fentanyl operation in Houston that could have killed thousands of people (...) But a day after arresting four suspects, a Houston judge released them on bail (...) We must end easy bail for criminals.
This is outrageous.
Texas officers broke up a major Houston fentanyl operation that could have killed thousands of people.
But a day after 4 suspects were arrested, they were released on bond by a Houston Judge.
We must end easy bail for criminals.https://t.co/FFvdRWBAxS
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 10, 2023
The offenders were arrested in a drug raid on January 30 and was carried out by the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) under the Operation Lone Star border security program created by Abbott.
DPS and CID special agents raided a small rental car facility and found 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms) of fentanyl precursors, 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of counterfeit fentanyl pills, 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of counterfeit Xanax with suspected fentanyl, 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of cocaine, 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of marijuana, various weapons and a stolen car. Texas DPS Lieutenant Craig Cummings, told Fox 26 Houston:
They were putting together fentanyl and methamphetamine in pill form, with the intention of bringing that to the community.
The operations of the fentanyl lab are currently under investigation.
Fentanyl "is a crisis in Texas"
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is potentially lethal even in small doses. Officials noted that of the 108,000 overdose deaths in 2021, more than 80,000 were related to these opioids. The drug is manufactured in Mexico using Chinese precursors and smuggled into the country through the southern border. Cummings said:
Fentanyl is a crisis in Texas (...) We are seeing fentanyl coming across the border and out. Someone may have no idea that what they are taking is not a pill from a friend, but a pill containing fentanyl. If we can get these drugs off the street, our community will be safer.
