West Point Officials – At least 2 cadets, including an Army football player, implicated in Florida incident

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The United States Military Academy and fire officials said Friday that at least two of the school’s cadets, including a soccer player, were involved in a situation in which six fentanyl cocaine overdose at Florida motel during spring break.

Two of the six are in critical condition, rescue and emergency officials said.

A West Point official told the Associated Press that one of the hospitalized officer cadets was a Army football player. The official said another football player at the house was not hospitalized. Officials had no further information and were unable to provide the condition of the sick player.

No name has been released. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the investigation was ongoing.

The New York academy’s office of public affairs issued a statement Friday afternoon saying its officials were “aware of the situation involving West Point cadets, which occurred Thursday night.” in the Wilton Manors community.”

It added: “No other details are available at this time.”

The South Florida Sun Sentinel first reported that some of the victims were West Point students.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Battalion Commander Steve Gollan told the AP Friday afternoon that the two critically ill victims were on ventilators. Two other victims are in stable condition, one is in good condition and the other has been released. Earlier, Gollan said after the two victims collapsed on Thursday, two others fell ill while trying to give them CPR from the scum from their bodies. When paramedics arrived, six people at home needed treatment. He said the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone had been used.

Neighbors told local media that the house was a vacation home that was often rented out.

Fentanyl is a potent and unpredictable synthetic pain reliever that is believed to be responsible for an increase in the number of fatal drug use cases. It is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and is used to treat severe pain, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also slows down a person’s breathing and heart rate.

Gollan said that in the 70 days from January 1, his department responded to 215 suspected opioid use cases; almost all of them are related to fentanyl. He doesn’t know how many of them have died but said this is a two-year trend that started when the coronavirus pandemic began and has not yet subsided.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said its detectives are investigating with Wilton Manors. A spokesman said further details could not be released because of the ongoing investigation.