Police Arrest Men In Undercover Drug Operation, Seize Cocaine Laced With Fentanyl

Three men in Nashville were busted on Friday night for selling cocaine laced with fentanyl. Khalil D. Smith and Michael Terry both 26, were arrested along with 22-year-old Nesean Thompson during an undercover narcotics operation in downtown Nashville.

According to Fox News, The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department announced that the three suspects are facing felony drug charges after they were caught in a buy-bust operation selling three grams of a white powdery substance for $200 to an undercover agent. Police were able to seize two 11-gram bags of white powder from Smith that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. They also recovered 21 grams of marijuana, 23 Xanax bars, and a firearm.

Thompson on the other hand is wanted on six felony warrants for aggravated assault linked to a shooting incident that took place on April 24. Smith was previously convicted of felony aggravated assault and prohibited to own a gun. The three men are being held in custody with Smith on a $100,000 bond, Thompson at $377,500 while Terry’s bail is set at $15,000.

After their capture, the Metro Public Health Department of Nashville released a statement warning the public about a recent spike in cases of drug overdose in Nashville. Residents were alerted to cases of drugs in powder and pill form laced with fentanyl. Authorities believe fentanyl makes for about 80% of the deaths from drug overdose in the county area this year alone. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said fentanyl belongs to the opioid class of drugs known to be 100 times stronger than the typical effects of morphine and 50 times over than heroin. Fentanyl is classified as a synthetic drug that can be fatal or cause serious harm.

Based on available data, the said opioid contributes much to the bulk of the opioid crisis sweeping across the United States. In 2019, data showed that 73% of all opioid-involved deaths were caused by ingesting lethal doses of fentanyl.

Sgt. Mike Hotz with MNPD's Specialized Investigations Division said the surge of fentanyl overdose cases in Nashville is beyond staggering. "You know, when you think of other drugs they're dosed in grams, but fentanyl itself, point two milligrams of fentanyl is enough to kill an adult human of average size," he added.

"So when you think about that, a gram of fentanyl — which is about the size of a sugar packet — contains enough to kill approximately 500 individuals,” Hotz concluded.