Fighting Fentanyl with Mike Sena

The Adrenaline Zone shines a spotlight today on the deadly fentanyl crisis in the US as Sandy and Sandra interview Mike Sena, Director of Northern California's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Mike reveals the grim realities of the epidemic and the complex battle to combat it, offering a unique perspective from his undercover background and current role. He also highlights the power of a multi-pronged strategy to save lives in this fierce battle against fentanyl poisoning.

🎯 BIGGEST TAKEAWAY [0:48:07]:

"The one thing, the great success story that I am seeing is that the spark of hope in communities, the community groups getting together and saying, “No more.”"

🎯 KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS:

⚠️ THE XYLAZINE THREAT [0:35:56]

"With a xylazine overdose, the naloxone will not work. And so there is a good likelihood that if we see a huge increase in mixtures of xylazine and fentanyl, all those reversals that we've had, those thousands and hundreds of thousands of people that have been saved because of naloxone, they'll become useless."

This changes everything about the opioid crisis because it reveals a terrifying new dimension where our primary life-saving tool, Narcan, could become ineffective, potentially leading to a surge in overdose deaths.

⚡COMMUNICATION [0:45:25]

"I think our biggest issue is having that common communications platform. And I have spent the last two years working on a platform that I hope will mitigate some of these issues we've got. But right now our big gap is that - a unified platform."

This is crucial because it highlights a critical weakness in our national response to crises – the lack of a unified communication system – and proposes a solution that could significantly improve coordination and save lives, echoing the need for similar systems in combating drug trafficking.

✨ HOPE IN COLLABORATION [0:48:45]

"So the success that I'm seeing every day is that level of collaboration, seeing the seizures that are happening and more importantly, seeing people get the treatment they need and seeing, in many cases, courts helping people get the treatment they need as well."

This is a game-changer because it demonstrates that a unified, multi-agency approach, involving law enforcement, public health, and community organizations, is proving effective in combating the crisis and offering a path towards recovery.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - The Deadly Toll of Fentanyl

01:13 - Multidimensional Solutions to the Drug Crisis

02:08 - Mike Sena's Unique Career Path

07:29 - Challenges of Undercover Narcotics Work

10:03 - Turning Drug Dealers into Success Stories

16:10 - America’s Greatest Drug Threat

20:06 - Coordinating Intelligence Across Agencies

23:23 - Community Efforts in Combating Overdoses

27:32 - Tackling Cartel-Driven Drug Distribution

30:26 - Drug Trafficking Beyond the Border

34:19 - Tracing Money in the Drug Trade

35:13 - The Rise of Xylazine and Emerging Threats

39:46 - Enhancing Interdiction Efforts and Intelligence Sharing

47:00 - Stories of Success in Combating the Crisis

49:13 - The Importance of Unified Community Action

Resources Mentioned:

• HIDTA: https://www.hidtaprogram.org/
• SAFE Project: https://safeproject.us/

Connect with Mike Sena:

• Mike Sena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-sena-8548292b/

#FentanylCrisis #DrugTrafficking #HIDTA