U.S. INDICTS 29 AFTER FATAL DRUG OVERDOSES

PLANO, TEXAS -- Twenty-nine people have been charged with smuggling
and selling heroin and cocaine that led to five overdoses--four of
them fatal--in this well-to-do Dallas suburb.

A federal indictment released Wednesday accuses the defendants of
conspiring to distribute black-tar heroin and cocaine from Mexico to
young adults and juveniles in Plano, a city of 188,000.

It also charges that "the conspirators specifically targeted Plano and
the young people of the community of Plano as a new market for their
drug, a new market to distribute this deadly poison," said U.S. Atty.
Mike Bradford.

Plano has seen 20 overdoses--17 of them deadly-- since September 1994.
The deaths prompted the formation of a task force to
investigate.

The suspects range in age from 18 to 38. Most are in their early 20s
and already were in custody on state and federal charges. Twenty-four
of them could face prison sentences of 20 years to life.

There is no law that allows Texas or federal prosecutors to charge a
drug seller with manslaughter or assault if the drugs cause a fatal
overdose.

Checked-by: "Rich O'Grady"