The United States Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, condemned the poisoning of seven minors in Huauchinango, Puebla, an incident that —in his opinion— reflects the urgency of dismantling the criminal networks that traffic fentanyl and other synthetic drugs.
Ronald Johnson published a message on February 18th in which he emphasized: “This reinforces the urgency of dismantling the networks that poison our communities with fentanyl”, and expressed his relief at the recovery of those affected, as well as his support for the families involved.
The diplomat emphasized that this case demonstrates that
“fentanyl does not distinguish whether you are from the United States or Mexico. As this case painfully demonstrates, it also does not distinguish between an adult and a defenseless child.”
Fentanyl poisoning of minors in Puebla
Health authorities and the Puebla Prosecutor’s Office are investigating whether the child poisoning from tamales and atole is due to negligence, accident, or deliberate act.
The episode occurred on February 14 in the El Potro neighborhood, where seven minors — Yamilet (two years old), Kenia (five), Abigail (six), Raúl (eight), Teodoro (nine), Cristina (10) and Diana (11) — presented symptoms such as vomiting, dehydration, disorientation and, in one case, convulsions.
The symptoms appeared after consuming tamales and atole at a street vendor.
According to Proceso and El Sol de Puebla, the minor Cristina, 10 years old, remains hospitalized under medical surveillance after testing positive for fentanyl in toxicological analyses. The rest of the children were discharged on the same day, although they remain under home observation.
Sources agree that it has not yet been confirmed whether the minors belong to the same family, or if they simply coincided at the scene of the incident.
After the poisoning, family members and neighbors alerted the authorities, who acted on the site and suspended the sale of food. Health and safety authorities seized merchandise for analysis.
El Sol de Puebla indicated that some of the seized products already had expired expiration dates. So far, the samples remain under analysis to identify the cause of the contamination.
Health authorities and the General Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Puebla reported that the investigation seeks to clarify whether the poisoning is due to negligence, accident, or a deliberate act during the preparation or distribution of the food.
There are no detainees or formal charges. The owner of the stand visited the hospital to inquire about the health of the minors.
Fentanyl has clinical application in the treatment of intense pain, especially in patients with cancer or undergoing surgical procedures. The non-medical use of the substance, a synthetic opioid, poses a severe risk due to its potency, estimated to be up to one hundred times greater than morphine.
Ronald Johnson celebrates the seizure of more than 18 packages of cocaine
The binational cooperation between the Mexican Navy Secretariat and the United States Coast Guard allowed for a significant seizure of cocaine at sea. Photo: Navy
Johnson insisted on the relevance of bilateral cooperation between Mexico and the United States to stop drug trafficking and the circulation of drugs.
On February 12th, Johnson acknowledged that the collaboration between the Mexican Navy Secretariat and the U.S. Coast Guard allowed for a recent seizure of 188 bundles of alleged cocaine at sea.
He affirmed that
“this type of actions are a demonstration of concrete results against drug trafficking” and highlighted the strength of the alliance between both countries to combat criminal networks.
