Cartels Use Animal Tranquilizer Produced in China to Make Fentanyl More Addictive

Cartels Use Animal Tranquilizer Produced in China to Make Fentanyl More Addictive

Medetomidine, a powerful animal sedative used by veterinarians, is fast becoming the adulterant of choice for drug cartels pushing fentanyl on American streets. It is mainly produced in China. ​Also known as “rhino tranq,” medetomidine is showing up more frequently than its cousin xylazine, a pain reliever, in the illicit drug supply in places such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, according to public health alerts. Neither medetomidine no…