Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Alleged Fentanyl-Trafficking Son Of El Chapo Arrested Ahead Of Biden's Visit To Mexico
AP: Mexico Nabs Son Of Drug Lord 'El Chapo' Before Biden Visit
Mexican security forces captured Ovidio Guzmán, an alleged drug trafficker wanted by the United States and one of the sons of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, in a pre-dawn operation Thursday that set off gunfights and roadblocks across the western state’s capital. ... “This is a significant blow to the Sinaloa cartel and major victory for the rule of law. It will not, however, impede the flow of drugs into the U.S. Hopefully, Mexico will extradite him to the U.S.,” Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former Chief of International Operations, said Thursday. (Verza and Sherman, 1/6)
The Washington Post: Mexico Captures Son Of El Chapo, Alleged Fentanyl Trafficker, Ahead Of Biden Visit
Analysts and former U.S. officials said the latest arrest appeared timed to appease Biden in advance of the summit — part of a pattern of the Mexican government nabbing major narcos or announcing big busts before key bilateral meetings. “It’s like the AMLO administration is saying, ‘We have to show Biden that we’re doing something,’ ” said Carlos Bravo Regidor, a Mexican political analyst, referring to the president by his initials. (Sheridan and Sieff, 1/5)
More on the opioid crisis —
Reuters: Doctors' 'Pill Mill' Convictions Partially Tossed After U.S. Supreme Court Ruling
A federal appeals court on Thursday overturned key parts of the convictions of two Alabama doctors accused of running a massive "pill mill" after the U.S. Supreme Court in June made it harder to prosecute physicians for illegally prescribing addictive drugs like opioids. (Raymond, 1/5)
Vice News: The DEA Shut Down A Pain Doctor. Now 3 People Are Dead
First, there was the double suicide—a husband and wife from Georgia who took their lives one week after the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) suspended the license of their doctor, David Bockoff, a pain specialist in Beverly Hills. After Bockoff lost his ability to prescribe fentanyl and other powerful painkillers on Nov. 1, dozens of his patients became “opioid refugees” with nowhere to turn. The third death came barely a month later. ... Exclusive interviews with Bockoff patients and court documents reviewed by VICE News make it appear as though the devastation came only after the DEA intervened against Bockoff, sending his patients into desperate spirals to stave off withdrawals and manage their pain. (Hamilton, 1/5)
AP: Man Gets Record 20 Years In Prison For Teen's Fentanyl Death
A man was sentenced Thursday to a record 20 years in prison for selling fentanyl pills that killed a Colorado teenager. Federal prosecutors say Nathaniel Corser, 23, sold two blue pills with the imprints “M” and “30” to 19-year-old Kaeden Norlander at a park in Colorado Springs on July 4, 2021. The drugs appeared to be prescription oxycodone pills but actually contained fentanyl. (1/6)
AP: Opioid Legal Charge Pushes Walgreens To $3.7B Fiscal 1Q Loss
A huge opioid settlement dragged Walgreens to a $3.7 billion loss for the first quarter, but the drugstore chain still beat Wall Street forecasts. (Murphy, 1/5)
