3 Dead After Powdered Fentanyl Exposure Sickens Responders in New Mexico

Three people died and multiple first responders were sickened after exposure to a powdered opioid substance at a home in Mountainair, New Mexico, authorities confirmed Friday. The incident occurred Wednesday after emergency crews responded to a report of an unconscious person.

Four individuals were found unresponsive inside the residence. Two were pronounced dead at the scene, a third died while being transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital, and a fourth survived. Both the survivor and one of the deceased were administered the overdose-reversal medication naloxone.

Preliminary analysis by Drug Enforcement Administration officials at the scene confirmed the presence of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and a variant known as parafluorofentanyl, or P4 fentanyl, in powder form. New Mexico State Police Chief Matt Broom described the P4 fentanyl as a more illicit form of the drug.

More than a dozen first responders were exposed to the substance, with many reporting symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. Officials said 25 people were exposed, with 20 requiring hospitalization before being released. As of Friday, two individuals remained hospitalized: one of the...