Fentanyl Lollipops? Top Border Patrol Doctor Asked Staff For Narcotics Before UN Meeting In New York: Whistleblowers
Several whistleblowers allege that the chief medical officer for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pressured his staff to smuggle fentanyl lollipops to a September United Nations General Assembly Meeting in New York last September, according to a report submitted to Congress on Friday.
According to NBC News, Dr. Alexander Eastman's staff thought it was really strange that their boss would need to order fentanyl lollipops to take with him. What's more, his explanation was hilarious; he might need them as part of his duties in case any injured CBP operators needed pain management, should an emergency occur.
"Eastman spent copious hours of his and Office of the Chief Medical Officer staff time directing the OCMO staff to urgently help him procure fentanyl lollipops, a Schedule II narcotic, so that he could bring them on the CBP Air and Marine Operations helicopter on which he would be a passenger in New York City," the whistleblowers alleged in their letter. "Dr. Eastman claims that his possession of fentanyl lollipops was necessary in case a CBP operator might be injured, or in case the CBP Air and Marine Operations team encountered a patient in need."
Customs and Border Protection is the chief agency responsible for detecting and stopping the illegal flow of fentanyl into the U.S. across international borders.
Eastman’s staff initially responded to his request by explaining that Narcan, which can save the lives of those who overdose on fentanyl, has been requested for CBP operations in the past, but not fentanyl itself. The whistleblowers say staff members raised questions about how he would store the lollipops and what he would do with unused fentanyl at the end of the operation, according to the report. -NBC News
Eastman responded to his staff's questions by writing his own policy regarding the procurement of Schedule II narcotics - which failed to outline how narcotics would be stored and disposed of, the whistleblowers allege. He was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid for the lollipops, because a vendor could not be found in time for the UN General Assembly - a meeting of diplomats and heads of state to discuss international issues. While it would be unusual for the CBP's top medical officer to attend, he said that he needed to go because CBP's Air and Marine Operations division was assisting Secret Service with security.
The whistleblowers, represented by the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, also allege Eastman was under investigation by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility at the time regarding improper ordering and securing of narcotics for a friend who is a pilot for Air and Marine Operations. The friend worked as a helicopter pilot for Air and Marine Operations in New York during the General Assembly, the report says. -NBC News
Eastman was promoted to acting chief medical officer in June after the agency made an abrupt change in leadership following the death of an 8-year-old girl in CBP custody, who died after on-site medical personnel allegedly ignored warning signs and ignored her mother.