Last month, a narcotics raid on Long Island led to the first regional seizure of nitazene, a synthetic opioid deemed more deadly than fentanyl, raising concerns among drug enforcement officials. According to a report from Fox 5 New York, laboratory testing confirmed the substance to be 100 times stronger than fentanyl. DEA New York's findings have issued a warning about the drug's presence and potential impact on the community.
The compound, said to have been originally developed as a potential pain medication in the 1950s but never medically approved, was discovered during the arrest of Anthony Gianatiempo, 34, of Hicksville. Gianatiempo is currently facing several charges relating to narcotics, weapons, and explosives, after law enforcement found him to allegedly be in possession of explosives and various controlled substances, as detailed in a New York Post article.
Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino expressed his concerns, stating, "It’s alarming. We haven’t come across this compound anywhere in the entire Northeast," in a statement obtained by the New York Post. The DEA also seized other substances during the raid, including fentanyl pills, pressed methamphetamine tablets, liquid fentanyl, fentanyl powder, cocaine, and methamphetamine, illustrating the extensive narcotics operation they believe to be linked with Gianatiempo.
Health officials have emphasized that while the effects of nitazene can be reversed by overdose medication such as Narcan, it may require multiple doses due to the drug's extreme potency. The authorities further suspect that the nitazene pills were possibly smuggled from Mexico or pressed locally using raw powder from Chinese criminal networks. "This didn’t just magically appear in a Hicksville home — it was trafficked here by criminal networks," Tarentino said in a statement reported by the New York Post.
Gianatiempo’s arraignment on August 6 followed confiscation of what officials described as counterfeit oxycodone M30 pills cut with the new type of nitazene. The DEA's Northeast Regional Laboratory provided the testing that confirmed the potency of the seized substances. Along with the narcotics, Gianatiempo was found with an arsenal that included suspected bombs and over 30 pounds of smokeless gunpowder. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail since his arrest.
