Police find weed positive for fentanyl in Austin; man arrested
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department conducted a sting operation and arrested a man Thursday after he was allegedly found with both crack cocaine and marijuana that tested positive for fentanyl.
Police from APD's organized crime division's gang suppression unit honed in on "high narcotics trafficking locations," where an undercover officer went to purchase drugs, per police documents. The operation came amid an overdose surge that resulted in more than 70 overdoses and multiple opioid-related deaths in Austin.
Officers focused on surveillance efforts near North Lamar Boulevard and Rutland Drive, described in police documents as an "active open-air drug market." Police noted they'd seen several drug deals happen at this site.
Just before 2 p.m. Thursday, documents said an undercover officer went to Cash America Pawn at 9616 N. Lamar Blvd., where a man walked up to the officer's window. The officer asked for crack cocaine and offered $40 for the exchange, police documents said.
The suspect then gave the undercover officer two pieces of crack cocaine before he was apprehended. Police documents identified the suspect as 33-year-old Kanady Arkangelo Rimijo.
While police searched the suspect, they found eight bags of marijuana. Documents said both the crack cocaine handed to the undercover officer as well as the marijuana tested positive for fentanyl.
"The suspected marijuana was tested for the presence of opioids, as there have been several overdose cases, arrests, and other purchases made by undercover officers in the past 72 hours that involved narcotics that do not normally contain opioids (crack cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana)," police documents said.
Police arrested Rimijo and charged him with Manufacture Delivery of Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1B, a first-degree felony. Court documents reveal Rimijo's bond was set at $20,000.
At the time of publishing, information related to an attorney for Rimijo wasn't available.
KXAN reached out to APD to learn how often the department discovers a cross-contamination of fentanyl in marijuana or laced marijuana. KXAN also reached out to APD to see if the department and city leaders are re-evaluating a 2020 council policy de-prioritizing enforcement of low level marijuana possession charges. We will update this story once we receive a response.