The Trump administration's military strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats have killed more than 200 people. These attacks began in September and aim to stem drug flow, but critics question their legality and effectiveness. The strikes have mostly targeted fast boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, which are known to carry cocaine. Trump claims the strikes save lives, but experts say his statements are exaggerated. Legal experts and rights groups argue the strikes are illegal and immoral, with some calling them war crimes. A lawsuit has been filed, challenging the legality of these actions.
University of New Mexico Hospital Chief Medical Officer Steve McLaughlin discusses fentanyl exposure during a news conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
New Mexico State Police Chief Matt Broom, center, provides updates during a news conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Friday, May 22, 2026 about an investigation into the deaths of three people in Torrance County and a potential fentanyl exposure for first responders who answered the call. The investigation is ongoing. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma is using opioid settlement funds to build a culturally competent healthcare system. The facility will incorporate centuries-old traditions into recovery, including the game of stickball and an on-campus garden to grow selu, or corn. The services will come at no cost to Cherokee citizens. The Cherokee Nation — headquartered in Tahlequah — was the first tribe in the U.S. to sue opioid manufacturers. Nationwide, hundreds of tribes and Alaska Native corporations will receive about $1.3 billion over time in opioids settlements. Most of the money must be used to address the opioid crisis.
Rolling hills and grazing cattle surround the Cherokee Nation's new residential and intensive outpatient addiction treatment center in Tahlequah, Okla., March 26, 2026. (Sarah Liese/KOSU via AP)
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., center, discusses progress of a new treatment center with Juli Skinner, left, the senior director of the tribe's behavioral health center, and Jon Asbill, right, the tribe's senior construction administrator March 26, 2026, in Tahlequah, Okla. (Sarah Liese/KOSU via AP)
In this photo provided by KOSU, Ashley Caudle, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, wraps her arms around her son, Elliot, next to her garden in Stilwell, Okla., on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Sarah Liese/KOSU via AP)
Former NFL defensive lineman Josh Mauro died from an acute combination of fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol intoxication, according to online records from the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner. The report said that the 35-year-old Mauro died on April 23 and classified the death as accidental. The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder played eight NFL seasons, including six with the Cardinals and one each with the New York Giants and then-Oakland Raiders. His most productive season came in 2016 with the Cardinals when he played in 15 games, starting 13, and finished with 32 tackles.
A judge has ruled that a Utah mother who wrote a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death will serve life in prison without parole for his murder. Kouri Richins was convicted in March of poisoning her husband, Eric, with fentanyl in 2022. A jury also found her guilty of insurance fraud, forgery, and attempted murder for a previous poisoning attempt. Prosecutors said she was in debt and had taken out life insurance policies on her husband. Her sons, now in the care of relatives, expressed fear of her release. Richins maintains her innocence and plans to appeal the conviction.
About 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year — about 14% fewer than the previous year. It was the third straight annual drop, making it the longest decline in decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the provisional data Wednesday. The 2025 total is about the same as the tally in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Health and law enforcement officials in recent months have been sounding alarms about newer drugs that were increasingly detected in 2025. Among them is cychlorphine, a potent synthetic opioid that's up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl.
