Man Indicted for Selling Deadly New Opioid Protonitazene, Faces Life in Prison After Fatal Overdose

Protonitazene, a novel synthetic opioid, has been connected to a deadly overdose in a tragic development that represents a troubling turning point in the country’s fight against drug-related fatalities. Benjamin Anthony Collins, a 21-year-old resident of LA County, has been charged with the trafficking of a substance that causes death. If found guilty, Collins faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in jail or, if convicted, life in prison, according to CBS News.

Collins is accused of selling the narcotics that killed a 22-year-old man during an early-morning transaction on April 19. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, the victim ingested the tablets, which are said to be “several times more powerful than fentanyl,” and was discovered dead in his car by his mother, just outside her house. Protonitazene is a narcotic that is apparently three times more potent than fentanyl, which is already 50 times stronger than heroin. This is reportedly the first criminal case in the United States involving a death connected to protonitazene.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration are working together on the current investigation. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Collins, who entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment, has been ordered to be held without bond until his trial on January 14, 2025. According to the distressing information disclosed, the victim allegedly consumed some of the opioid-laced pills shortly after the purported purchase from Collins and passed away shortly after.

The prosecution in the Collins case is being led by General Crimes Section Assistant United States Attorney Lisa J. Lindhorst. Ciaran McEvoy, the Department of Justice’s Public Information Officer, is the person to contact for more information.

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