Twelve people with Southern California ties are among cases filed so far this year against alleged drug dealers accused of selling fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills with each resulting in the death of at least one person, federal officials announced on Thursday, May 15.

There were more than 80,300 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2024, mostly related to fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Southern California residents charged with the distribution of fentanyl leading to a death, as announced in the U.S. Attorney’s Office news release, include:

The charge of distributing fentanyl resulting in death carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.

Originally Published: May 16,

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