A dangerous new trend is emerging along the U.S.-Mexico border, as reports from multiple news outlets highlight the smuggling of a so-called “zombie drug” into the United States.
Known as xylazine, this animal tranquilizer is increasingly being mixed with fentanyl, creating a lethal combination that poses a significant threat to public health.
Experts and authorities are sounding the alarm as the drug’s presence grows, with its devastating effects leaving users in a zombie-like state and causing severe physical harm.
According to a recent article from Fox News published on March 25, 2025, Dr. Joseph Friedman, a researcher studying xylazine, warns that the drug is likely being manufactured abroad and smuggled across the southern border into the U.S.
Often added to fentanyl to enhance its effects, xylazine makes an already deadly synthetic opioid even more dangerous. “Smugglers might be bringing the fentanyl enhancer into the United States,” Friedman noted, emphasizing the challenges in tracking its exact origins.
While some xylazine may be diverted from veterinary sources within the U.S., evidence points to international trafficking as a key contributor to its spread.
Similarly, Daily Mail Online, that researchers have confirmed xylazine’s presence in the drug supply crossing from Tijuana, Mexico, into the U.S.
A study testing urine and drug paraphernalia from a border town clinic found xylazine in approximately 83 percent of samples, marking the first definitive evidence of its smuggling route through Mexico.
The outlet described the drug’s horrific impact, noting that it “renders users in a zombie state with open sores in their skin,” a consequence of its ability to constrict blood vessels and cut off oxygen flow to the body.
The issue isn’t confined to the U.S. NDTV reported that Mexican authorities have expressed alarm over xylazine’s presence in opioids along their northwest border with the U.S.
This development comes amid growing concerns about fentanyl use within Mexico itself, a country that has historically served as a transit point for drugs destined for American markets.
The combination of fentanyl and xylazine amplifies the overdose crisis, which already claims tens of thousands of lives annually in the U.S.
Times of India echoed these concerns on April 13, 2024, citing a study by Mexico’s National Institute of Psychiatry.
Lead investigator Clara Fleiz admitted, “We were surprised to find xylazine,” underscoring the unexpected spread of the tranquilizer into Mexican border cities.
In response, Mexico’s health ministry issued an alert on April 8, 2024, warning health personnel and first responders about the potential adulteration of heroin and fentanyl with xylazine. This cross-border collaboration highlights the urgency of addressing the drug’s infiltration.
The danger isn’t limited to border regions. Fox News reported on March 27, 2023, that Senator Chuck Schumer warned of xylazine’s arrival in New York City, calling it a “skin-rotting zombie drug” that could make fentanyl “seem tame.”
Schumer pointed to Mexico as a key transit point, with the drug’s raw materials potentially originating in China before being trafficked across the southern border.
He urged the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to deploy diversion control teams to stem the flow, emphasizing that local law enforcement alone cannot tackle the issue.
The New York Times also shed light on the drug’s toll in a January 7, 2023, article, detailing its street name “tranq dope” and its catastrophic effects on users.
Beyond its sedative properties, xylazine causes severe wounds—sometimes leading to amputations—leaving individuals in a state of despair. One user quoted in the piece described waking up “crying because my arms were dying,” a stark testament to the drug’s brutality.
As xylazine continues to infiltrate the U.S. drug supply, the consensus among experts and news outlets is clear: this “zombie drug” represents a growing threat to Americans.
Its smuggling across the southern border, as documented by Fox News, Daily Mail Online, and others, underscores the need for heightened border security and international cooperation.
Meanwhile, the human cost—chronicled by the New York Times and Times of India—demands urgent public health interventions to address addiction and overdoses.
