Llano PD issues warning after 3 people overdose on pills known as “Blues”

The Llano Police Department issued a warning after they say three overdose cases reported in the last month were linked to the synthetic drug nitazene.  LLano police say that each of the three overdose patients had to be flown out to be treated for the overdoses, and that the toxicology screens from each of the cases showed nitazene.  In each case, police say medics had to use more naloxone (Narcan) than usual to reverse the effects of the overdose.

Authorities said they have been made aware of the increasing presence of counterfeit pills known as “Blues,” which are made to resemble the appearance of oxycodone, an opioid painkiller.  The police department also mentioned the possible presence of xylazine, or “tranq,” which is used as a tranquilizer for animals and has not been approved for human use.

Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that are significantly stronger than fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  They were originally engineered in the 1950’s to act as painkillers, but were never given approval for medical use because of their highly addictive nature.

According to a study conducted in March by the DEA, different nitazenes began appearing more frequently in drug supply in the United States sometime around 2019.  The drug also started to show up more frequently in the blood samples of people who overdosed.

More than 20 different nitazene compounds have been identified, according to the National Capital Poison Center.  In the last year, the DEA has seen what it calls a dramatic increase in nitazene issues.  From last November to February 2025, the DEA saw a 57% increase in overdoses related to the drug.  Earlier this year, the DEA’s Houston Division reported a rise in its emergence in Texas.

Nitazene overdoses are similar to other opioid overdoses in that people may be comatose and not breathing.  While there isn’t much information about the drug, limited information suggests that nitazene overdose symptoms could last longer than other overdoses.