‘Your kids are the target’: College drug deaths, alleged coke ring expose lethal threat, warns retired cop
"There is a panoply of drugs out there that will destroy your kids," says retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro.
Following recent college deaths and allegations around a campus cocaine trafficking ring, Mauro said America's students are now the primary prey for a relentless and deadly drug trade.
"If you're sending a kid off to college these days, you better sit that child down and give that child a hard primer on what could possibly happen," he said.
A recently unsealed indictment shows Moises Freire, 19, and Brian Peralta, 18, both from Queens, New York, are facing charges after a young woman was killed and another seriously injured after they were allegedly poisoned by fentanyl.
Reports indicate Annabel Richter, 20, was killed after she ingested the drug supplied by the men, who allegedly told her it was simply "cocaine."
She had moved from Brazil to live in the U.S. to pursue her studies at Manhattan's Fashion Institute of Technology, the New York Post reported. She was found unresponsive with another female victim in a dorm room.
According to the federal indictment, Freire allegedly raped the victim and "waited approximately 45 minutes to contact campus security" about the woman being unconscious.
Mauro questioned why there wasn't more media attention on the case.
"It happened on a campus and the only thing I can conjure is that it happened in New York City, and so the powers that be as we come into an election season would rather these rape stories or these campus crime stories occur someplace far from New York where they could have any impact on the elections here," he said.
The indictment also alleges Freire texted photos to his friends of one unconscious victim, who was "naked below the waist."
Read the indictment here:
The second victim sustained "serious bodily injury" and regained consciousness after receiving life-saving care in the hospital.
Court records indicate both men pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to federal charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death. Freire is additionally charged with distributing a controlled substance with the intent to commit rape.
In a statement, FIT President Jason Schupbach said in part, "We are thankful to our teams from Public Safety and Residential Life for their immediate response in March, and also to the Department of Justice and the NYPD for their actions in March and their continued focus on this case. As a community, we continue to support each other through difficult times."
Campus drug deaths extend beyond New York City, including at the University of Mississippi, where federal prosecutors and local authorities launched intensive investigations following the deaths of two students.
Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were found dead of suspected drug overdoses in September.
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Investigators recovered packages of kratom-related products or "gas station heroin" at both scenes where the victims were discovered.
The discovery prompted federal charges against a vape shop clerk and his son for illicitly selling dangerous, banned compounds disguised in retail packaging.
The deaths sent shock waves through the campus community, intensifying urgent warnings from law enforcement about unregulated substances flooding college towns.
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"It really is a minefield out there these days, and it's not an accident. Our enemies know what they're doing, and your kids are the target," Mauro said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ole Miss for comment.
Adding to the mounting national crisis on campuses, Pennsylvania's top prosecutor, Attorney General Dave Sunday, announced sweeping charges against 14 men — including current and former students — following an investigation into an alleged cocaine trafficking organized crime ring.
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Investigators revealed that the network operated out of off-campus fraternity houses, including Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon.
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At the center of the enterprise, authorities identified former student Agostino Abbatiello, 24, as the primary ringleader and kingpin, aka "Pablo Pledgescabar."
According to a criminal complaint, fraternity pledges were forced to cut, package and bag large quantities of cocaine for the operation.
The drugs were then distributed widely among Penn State students across the University Park campus.
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The drugs were coming from larger networks like Philadelphia and New York City.
Mauro said the networks rely on supply from foreign countries.
"You got the Chinese making this stuff. It goes to the cartels in Mexico and South America. It gets brought up here into the country, and it's [distributed onto campuses now]," he said.
"They keep coming. Why? Chinese make this stuff in labs. They just change the formula all the time, and one of the reasons for that is they want to stay ahead of the charging here in America, the charges that get captured by the drug laws," he said.
Penn State said in a statement, in part: "While the problem of illicit narcotics is a global issue, the recent allegations of drug trafficking taking place so close to the University Park campus is very concerning."
"In prevention efforts, Vice President for Student Affairs Andrea Dowhower shared a message with the Penn State community last month, and additional messaging has been sent directly to students and parents related to health and safety, including on alcohol, drugs and hazing," the school added.