SAN ANTONIO — It's a dangerous drug, and it's making its way to South Texas.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning about pink cocaine, a drug the agency says is a dangerous mixture of several different substances that can have varying effects on individuals.
"Pink cocaine, also known as Tusi, is a psychedelic substance that we see in the illicit drug market," said Brian Leardo, deputy special agent In charge with the DEA's Houston Field Division.
On Wednesday afternoon, the DEA in Houston sounded the alarm about pink cocaine in the South Texas region, calling the drug dangerous and lethal.
”It is a true drug cocktail comprised of ketamine, methamphetamine and MDMA. It comes in various forms, but what we've also seen is that it contains fentanyl at times as well," Leardo said.
Officials says the drug is pink in color due to food coloring. The point of that color? To attract new users. Authorities say pink cocaine has been seen at the street level, adding it's common in nightclubs and urban areas.
“There are several counties throughout Texas that have seen it," Leardo said.
Those counties include Harris, Travis and Hays.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office says they have not seen the drug here locally, but they are aware of it.
Officials say the drug is especially dangerous because everyone can have a different reaction, including making people hallucinate.
“The public needs to understand that the drug landscape has changed with the introduction of fentanyl and synthetics," Leardo said. "Every dose is potentially a lethal dose."
To learn more about pink cocaine, its effects and its addictive qualities, click here.