houston – Four men were jailed Monday night in a suspected drug lab raid in northwest Houston.
Investigators believe they were creating pills that looked like Xanax or Adderall and spiked them with the deadly fentanyl.
A food truck is parked in front of the store on Sussex Lane near Gessner Road, and a sign says it is a slingshot or tuk-tuk rental business.
“These things are extremely dangerous to the community,” said DPS Lt. Craig Cummings of Texas. “The purpose of their manufacture of the pills is to distribute them to the community.”
During the raid, investigators found approximately 17 pounds of chemicals used to make fentanyl. They also seized three pill presses and more than three pounds of fake Xanax and Adderall tablets believed to contain fentanyl. Adderall pills are also thought to contain methamphetamine, according to the DPS.
“The end product is a pill that looks like what you would buy at the pharmacy,” says Lt. Cummings. “A person who takes fentanyl and probably doesn’t have enough time to call 911 for help…that’s a deadly chemical.”
The raid also seized more than 4 pounds of cocaine, 44 pounds of hydrogenated marijuana, four guns and a stolen car, according to DPS.
“We’ve been successful every time we’ve had the opportunity to take a place like this,” Lieutenant Cummings said. “We’re here to address this crisis that affects Harris County and the entire state of Texas.”
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, killed 1,672 Texans in 2021, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Police have arrested four men in connection with a suspected drug lab. All four had prior criminal records in Harris County, court records show.
Stanley Keith Williams, 57, was charged with possessing and attempting to deliver a controlled substance on $70,000 bond. Gary Wayne Odoms, 53, was charged with tampering with government records. James Earl Williams, 62, was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Keith Boxhill, 45, was charged with evading arrest and tampering with evidence.
Lt. Cummings said Box Hill, also known as Keith Hill, fled during the investigation, according to court records.
All four men have been released from prison, according to prison records.
Virgil Thomas, who has been living across the street from a suspected drug lab for the past year and a half, thinks something is wrong.
“You have a food truck that’s never going anywhere, they never sell food, and they don’t lease many of those vehicles, so you can’t possibly make money,” he said. “There was traffic in and out all night long.”
He said Sunday brought the most activity to the community.
“I’m happy because it’s going to be a lot quieter here,” he said.
According to Lt. Cummings, many of these actions may appear to be routine business, but activity in or around them may indicate that something else is going on.
If you suspect anything suspicious, you can report it anonymously with a photo using the iWatchTexas iPhone or Android app or website.
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