OKLAHOMA CITY — Nearly 20,000 potential fatal doses of fentanyl were intercepted inside the Oklahoma County Detention Center after investigators searched a detainee’s cell August 28, officials said.
Chief of Investigations and Intelligence Alan Smith told Free Press in an interview that the narcotics weighed more than 39 grams, a quantity rarely encountered inside a jail.
The detainee, 32-year-old Kassandra Escobar, now faces an additional count of aggravated trafficking linked to the seizure. She was booked into the jail Aug. 25 by Oklahoma City police on earlier complaints of aggravated trafficking of illegal drugs and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a fatal dose,” Smith said. “So 39 grams equates to 19,500 fatal doses. We essentially dodged a bullet with that one that could have been horrible for the jail.”
Investigators said the discovery followed a tip that prompted a targeted search of the detainee’s housing area. The drugs were immediately confiscated and secured as evidence.
Paul Timmons, interim CEO of the detention center, said in a written statement that the seizure underscores the risks fentanyl poses inside the jail.
“This discovery underscores the dangers fentanyl poses inside the jail and the importance of proactive intelligence gathering,” Timmons said. “Our team acted swiftly to remove a deadly substance from circulation and to protect the safety of staff and detainees.”
Smith, who previously served as a detective in Cleveland and Pottawatomie counties, said stopping contraband from reaching detainees remains one of the jail’s greatest challenges.
“Some of the biggest challenges … are stopping contraband, drugs, weapons, whatever, from coming into the jail from the outside,” Smith said. “We’ve had it through visitors, through mail disguised as legal paperwork, and sometimes people bring it in on their own person.”
He said investigators remain alert to the possibility of staff being targeted with bribes. “It does happen occasionally,” Smith said.
The jail uses a body scan system to screen incoming detainees, but Smith acknowledged it is not foolproof. “Sometimes things are overlooked or mistaken,” he said.
The detention center has reported fentanyl-related deaths in recent years, though Smith said he did not have updated totals and that some cases are still under review by the state Medical Examiner’s Office.
“We’re just trying to make it a safer place and … keep everybody alive,” Smith said. “We do our best to track it down and take care of it.”
The investigation into how the fentanyl was smuggled inside is ongoing.
Brett is the founder, and editor in chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He continues to contribute reporting and photography to the efforts of the publication as well as leadership in developing support.
