INDIANAPOLIS — Federal and local officials are warning about a growing and increasingly deadly drug threat in the Indianapolis area, as new synthetic substances are being mixed with illicit fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with several Indianapolis-area agencies, says emerging drugs are showing up more frequently in overdose deaths across Marion County.
Preliminary data from the Marion County Coroner’s Office shows synthetic substances are being detected at rising rates. Among them is medetomidine, a powerful veterinary sedative, which was found in nearly one out of every 14 confirmed overdose deaths in 2026.
Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in coordination with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, issued a health advisory on medetomidine, sometimes referred to as “rhino tranq,” “mede,” or “dex.” The drug is not approved for human use and is used to sedate animals.
According to the CDC, medetomidine is being detected more often in drug seizures, lab testing and even wastewater samples, with the highest concentrations reported in the Northeast.
The DEA has also warned of what it calls an “unprecedented and evolving drug threat,” driven largely by fentanyl and an expanding mix of synthetic substances.
Health officials say fentanyl is increasingly combined with veterinary tranquilizers like xylazine and medetomidine, as well as powerful synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and cychlorphine. The DEA says new forms of nitazenes often appear as law enforcement cracks down on existing versions, identifying at least 22 different compounds since 2020.
“As families enjoy concert and festival season and students prepare to leave for or return to college, we want everyone to understand that today’s illicit drug supply is more dangerous, more deceptive, and more deadly than ever before,” DEA Indianapolis District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Cody Dooley said in a press release.
Officials urge the public to never take pills that were not prescribed to them and to assume any illicit drug could contain fentanyl or other dangerous substances. They also recommend carrying the overdose reversal medication naloxone, learning how to use it, and calling 911 immediately if an overdose is suspected.
Emily’s Hope has installed free naloxone distribution boxes in strategic locations across South Dakota, Kansas and Iowa.
