Local news and fun, every day 6am.
Featured
austonia newsletter
Most viewed
Cedar Park police arrest a dozen in fentanyl drug bust, after 23 overdoses from counterfeit pills

(Pexels)
The Cedar Park Police Department has arrested a dozen people, with three more federal indictments, for selling pills laced with fentanyl.
CPPD announced the arrests after a Tuesday morning bust, spanning four states and the entire Central Texas area from San Antonio to Cedar Park. Officials said most of the arrests have been in Austin.
The big picture: Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used to treat severe pain, is about 80-100 times stronger than Morphine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The agency said most people are unaware they are purchasing fentanyl, which is often used to cut heroin, and can result in an overdose. Fentanyl overdoses killed more than 36,000 people in 2019, according to the CDC.
The arrests are two years in the making—CPPD began tracking down the accused parties after the department noticed that 23 overdoses from the last two years came from counterfeit pills, resulting in nine fatalities.
According to a Department of Justice press release, the following people have been arrested.
- Christopher Brook, 23, of Austin
- Jaime Cabrales, 23, of Austin
- Matthew Juan, 19, of Austin
- Adi Martinez Marquez, 19, of Austin
- Andrew Ruben Ramirez, 23, of Austin
- Michael Bauman, 18, of Austin
- Ernest Ochoa, 18, of Austin
- Marcos Garcia, 18, of Somerton, AZ
- Oliver Garcia, 20, of Lockhart
- Ezequiel Azmitia-Jimenez, 19, of Lockhart
- Daemon Lye Garcia, 19, of San Marcos
- Josue Nolasco-Campuzano, 20, of Live Oak
Officials who worked on the case, including the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Postal Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the DEA, say they believe the drugs originated from Mexico.
The next step for investigators is to identify supply routes.
The contraband: Investigators have seized more than 100,000 counterfeit pills that have been laced with fentanyl. The pills have a street value of over $1 million and will be examined at a DEA lab.
“A lot of these are young adults that are obtaining these pills that’s resulting in these fatalities where they are thinking that it’s just one pill, or they’re obtaining it from a friend or someone they know,” Cedar Park Police Commander Darlene Lewis said.
- Austin's iconic Nau's Enfield Drug hopes see to the business return ... ›
- Tech workers and millennials trip on psychedelics in austin - austonia ›
- COVID-19 scams surface as vaccine prepares for FDA approval ... ›
- 13 arrested in drug trafficking ring targeting UT students - austonia ›
- Two dead in series of Fenanyl overdoses in Downtown Austin - austonia ›
- Authorities identify drug behind overdoses that left two dead - austonia ›
- Austin pharmacy owner convicted of illegally distributing oxycodone, hydrocodone - austonia ›
- Two arrested on fentanyl drug charges in opioid overdose spike - austonia ›
Popular
Hensel Phelps created an iconic gateway into the Hill Country with the Austin 360 Bridge. (Hensel Phelps)
What would Austin be without its City Hall, Central Library or iconic 360 Bridge?
For 50 years, Austin developer Hensel Phelps has shaped Austin with city-focused landmark developments across the metro, gracing the top spot on Austin Business Journal's best general contracting list for years in a row.
In 1972, the company broke ground for the first time in Austin with the Town Lake, or Mopac Bridge project, connecting the developing areas of West Austin to the rest of the city.
Hensel Phelps broke ground for its first project, the Mopac Bridge, in 1972. (Texas Freeway)
The Town Lake Bridge was one of eight available bridges in Austin at the time of construction. (Hensel Phelps)
Since then, it's headed several projects, including:
- The Pennybacker (360) Bridge: After the Town Lake Bridge success, the company set out to build the world's second cable-supported bridge. Newcomers and native Austinites alike take to the nearby 360 Bridge Overlook Trail to see sunset views of the cliffside, copper-colored landmark.
- Dell Diamond Baseball Stadium: Since it opened in 2000, the Round Rock Express, the metro's Triple-A- Minor League baseball team, has held countless games at this 85-acre, 11,000+ capacity stadium.
- Samsung Fab 2 Chip Fabrication Facility: When Hensel Phelps helped Samsung with its second semiconductor project in the area in 2007, the grand opening ceremony was commemorated with the University of Texas Longhorn Band, UT Cheerleaders, pop singer LeAnn Rimes and a bald eagle to boot.
- Austin Central Public Library: With six floors, a rooftop garden and plenty of window views of downtown, Austin's Central Library project quickly became a central hub for the city when it opened in 2017.
- Darrell K. Royal-Memorial Stadium: The company has had a hand in all major expansions of the Texas Longhorns' longtime football stadium.
Austin's new Central Public Library first opened in 2017. (Hensel Phelps)
Through dozens of projects dotted throughout the region, Hensel Phelps' Southwest district manager and Vice President Brad Winans said the company's focus has always been the public sector.
"That's where we think we support and develop the city, from truly grassroots, truly local support and involvement in the community," Winans said. "Our job is to develop things that truly support the city, not specific to one business."
Austin's City Hall was constructed with native Texas limestone and built with sustainability in mind. (Hensel Phelps)
A University of Texas graduate and 30-year employee, Winans said that the company's 2004 City Hall project felt most impactful to the community. The building, built from both native limestone and recycled materials, embraced sustainability and high-tech qualities, including solar panels in its garage, while maintaining a classic Texan identity.
"It's a very hard industry to be a part of, but it's also very rewarding," Winans said. "For me, City Hall means a lot because the back in the day, we called it 'The Jewel,' and so it's great to be part of that."
The company has constructed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in the past and will continue to help expand the airport. (Hensel Phelps)
With 50 years under its belt, Winans said the company will continue to work on the "endless" development opportunities coming to the city, from expansion of the rapidly-growing Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to projects in the tech sector.
"Everybody seems to want to come to Austin," Winans said. "It'd be nice if things did kind of spread out a little bit, but right now there's still a very eager push to develop in and around Central Texas and I think (Hensel Phelps) will be a major part of that."
- From Google tower to Apple campus: 6 Austin developments you'll ... ›
- Three new developments near Mueller set to transform over a block ... ›
- 5 towers and development coming to Austin in 2022 - austonia ›
- Mixed-use community coming between Austin and San Antonio ... ›
- Changing Austin: 5 major developments that will open by 2040 ›
- 5 mixed-use developments that will change Austin by 2030 - austonia ›
(San Antonio Spurs, LLC)
Starting the next season for the San Antonio Spurs, you’ll see an Austin-based financial tech company on the team’s uniforms.
Self Financial announced a partnership with the Spurs this week, in which a patch with their logo will replace where Frost's was on the jersey.
RC Buford, chief executive officer for Spurs Sports & Entertainment released a statement on the partnership, which will involve community engagement. The organizations are launching an annual $10,000 award that will be presented to a leader of a local nonprofit or community impact organization.
“Self builds credit, the Spurs build talent and both build dreams,” Buford said.
“Our partnership will draw parallels between people looking to build credit and a talented young group on the basketball court committed to building a championship team. We believe the Self-branded Spurs jersey will become a symbol of this mission—self-improvement in pursuit of building dreams.”
This trails another announcement earlier this year from Self as the official credit building sponsor of the Moody Center.
At the beginning of the year, the team of nearly 300 employees switched to a new office at 901 E. 6th St. to accommodate the growing team.
Priding itself on helping people build their credit, Self launched in 2015 after CEO James Garvey went through his own credit mishap. Automatic payments on his credit card weren’t set up correctly. Months passed, causing his credit score to dip.
The Self team set up credit builder plans to help people budget and meet their financial goals. Here’s how it works: plans range from small to extra large, with the small requiring $25 a month for two years and the largest $150 a month for a year. With that, users can track their credit score and automate payments with the option to cancel anytime.
Currently, Self has more than a million active customers, and Texas is its top market.
Self is working with Spurs guard Josh Primo as a brand ambassador. In 2021 at 18 years old, Primo moved to the U.S. from Canada and became the youngest San Antonio Spurs player ever.
“As a young international player, Josh has no credit history in the US, and represents millions of young people who need to build credit and are working hard to achieve their dreams and goals,” Garvey told Austonia via email. “We’re excited to work with him as he gets started building credit and he continues to build his career.”
On Thursday, Self will be the presenting partner for the Spurs 2022 NBA Draft festivities, which will include official watch parties in both San Antonio and Austin.
- Miami vs. Austin: Which Sun city will win the California tech-odus ... ›
- UT basketball takes on Texas Tech in Lubbock rivalry game - austonia ›
- Tech's takeover in downtown Austin is just beginning - austonia ›
- Battle for the tech workers: Job seekers hold the upper hand after ... ›
- Austin vs. Pittsburgh: How the two cities compare in tech - austonia ›
- Tech jobs are in hot demand, both benefitting and hurting job ... ›
- Austin tech salaries surpass big markets for 2021 - austonia ›
- The typical compensation for a Big Tech worker in Austin - austonia ›
- Austin tops ranking of best places for tech jobs - austonia ›