Louisiana Man Arrested for Trafficking Fentanyl, Meth to Panama City Beach

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (KPEL News) - A Houma man is in custody for allegedly trafficking major drugs into Panama City Beach, according to law enforcement officials.

Zacchaeus Vincent of Louisiana was arrested and charged with multiple drug offenses.

Vincent traveled from New Orleans to Panama City Beach by bus, according to officials. He was arrested after he got off a Greyhound Bus in Florida.

During an interview with law enforcement, Vincent told officials he was carrying meth and heroin. Deputies search his bag and found one pound of meth and two ounces of fentanyl. He admitted to getting the drugs in Louisiana and traveling to Florida.

His charges include meth trafficking, fentanyl trafficking, importation of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also appears to be facing a charge of violating conditional release.

Charges include:

• AMPHETAMINE-TRAFFIC OR METHAMPHETAMINE 14 GRAMS OR OVER
  BOND AMOUNT: $50,000.00
• AMPHETAMINE-TRAFFIC OR METHAMPHETAMINE 14 GRAMS OR OVER
  BOND AMOUNT: $500,000.00
• PUBLIC ORDER CRIMES USE 2 WAY COMM DEVICE TO FACIL FELONY
  BOND AMOUNT: $5,000.00
• HEROIN-SMUGGL BRING SCHEDULE I INTO STATE
  BOND AMOUNT: $15,000.00
• DRUGS-TRAFFIC TRAFFICKING IN FENTANYL 4 GRAMS OR MORE
  BOND AMOUNT: $25,000.00
• DRUG EQUIP-POSSESS AND OR USE
  BOND AMOUNT: $2,500.00
• CONDITIONAL RELEASE VIOLATION
  BOND AMOUNT: $10,000.00

Fentanyl's Impact

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) fact sheet on fentanyl explains a bit more.

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic.

According to the St. Landry Sheriff's Office, fentanyl is devastating in the impact it has on the people who use it. In their press release, they note:

• 2 milligrams can be considered a deadly dose to a person;
• 1 gram is equal to 1000 milligrams and can cause death to 500 people; and
• 55.6 % of drug overdoses are primarily due to fentanyl.

The DEA also notes that, similar to other opioids, fentanyl "produces effects such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression."