Opioid Overdoses Drop Dramatically in Abilene After Fentanyl Trafficker Takedown

Opioid overdose rates in Abilene have fallen significantly following a high-profile federal operation targeting fentanyl traffickers, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced.

According to Abilene Police Department data collected by OD MAP, between January 1, 2024, and September 11, 2024, Abilene experienced 41 opioid overdoses, including nine fatalities, averaging 4.9 overdoses per month, with victims ranging from 13 to 72 years old. However, after the federal indictment of 12 alleged fentanyl traffickers on September 11, 2024, the city’s overdose rate plummeted. From September 12 to December 31, 2024, only three overdoses occurred, none of them fatal, reducing the average to 0.8 overdoses per month.

Alongside the reduced overdose rates, the street price of fentanyl pills in Abilene increased sharply from $8 to between $20 and $30 per pill, making the drug less accessible to at-risk users, according to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office.

“This is precisely why the U.S. Attorney’s Office does the work it does – and why I am proud to have led the Northern District of Texas for the past two years,” Simonton said. “To see our fentanyl prosecutions having tangible impacts on the lives of the people of Abilene is immensely gratifying.”

The 12 defendants indicted in September were arrested and have faced federal charges, with 10 having entered guilty pleas and awaiting sentencing. Two others are still awaiting trial.

The multi-agency operation involved the Abilene Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, DEA Dallas Field Office, FBI Dallas Field Office, and other regional partners. These agencies, part of the North Texas HIDTA and the OCEDTF Program, continue their efforts to combat drug trafficking and its devastating effects on the community.