Cops Launch Hunt for Drug Dealers Who Supplied Cocaine to Robert De Niro’s Grandson, Fear Fatal Dose Tainted With Fentanyl
Police are desperately trying to determine the source of the substance that killed Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, the grandson of Robert De Niro, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.
NYPD cops believe the deadly strain of cocaine was likely laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opiate more potent than morphine, sources said.
“The autopsy will inevitably explain how Leandro apparently died soon after ingesting what seemed to be cocaine,” a law enforcement insider told RadarOnline.com.
Sources familiar with the investigation the 19-year-old’s lifeless body was found in a chair at an apartment in Lower Manhattan where he was said to be house-sitting.
Next to him was a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, unidentified pills, and drug paraphernalia including translucent baggies, they added.
Cops had responded to a wellness check phoned in from a concerned friend.
They described what they found at the crime scene as being akin to a “sordid common drug user’s den.”
The evidence was seized for testing and police officers will attempt to isolate the fatal strain to “a rash of other drug deaths in New York in recent time,” the insider added.
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Fentanyl is a powerful legal opioid, prescribed for cancer patients and others with severe pain.
In a report in The Wall Street Journal, it was noted traffickers have found it is easy and inexpensive to make.
“The illicit form has spread throughout the illegal drug market, turning up in heroin as well as pills stamped out to look like oxycodone or Adderall and other drugs (like cocaine),” it was said.
“Dealers also cut it into cocaine, a stimulant, to be more potent and addictive, introducing the drug to unsuspecting buyers. A tiny amount of fentanyl can kill unseasoned users.”
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The formal results of the autopsy are expected to be released to the family within days.
But warned the source: “It is very easy to arrest dealers, but it is very difficult to prove they actually sold the lethal cocaine or if they are just part of a larger drug distribution ring.”
In his first commence since the tragic death discovery, 79-year-old De Niro said he was “deeply distressed” by the sudden death of his “beloved” grandson.
“We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo,” the eight-time Oscar winner said.