Authorities on Monday confirmed the first death in Santa Clara County attributed to a dangerous animal tranquilizer that is increasingly mixed with opioids like fentanyl and heroin.
A 36-year-old man who was found unresponsive in San Jose and died in late February tested positive for xylazine, known as “tranq”, after postmortem tests, county officials said.
The veterinary tranquilizer has been linked to an increasing number of deadly overdoses and serious wounds in cases across the country.
“This tragic event is an important alert to the community that xylazine is now present in drugs in Santa Clara County,” said Dr. Michelle Jorden, the county’s chief medical examiner. “The last thing