Drug that killed Prince could be linked to Mexican cartels

The drug that killed popstar Prince could have been produced by Mexican cartels, according to The New York Times.

Prince died of an overdose of fentanyl, which “has become a favorite of Mexican cartels because it is extremely potent, popular in the United States — and immensely profitable” The NYT said.

According to the article, Mexican cartels have their own labs to produce the drug, and also receive shipments from China.

It is not clear how Prince obtained the drug because only doctors can prescribe fentanyl, “a synthetic opioid, for cancer patients and for palliative care, including end of life treatment.”

The newspaper also said that the presence of illicit fentanyl is surging to levels not seen since 2006, when a similar streak of overdose deaths in the United States was connected to a single laboratory in Mexico.