Drug arrests have soared in at least three counties composing the Eagle Ford Shale play in South Texas as oil and gas activity exploded in recent years.
The Austin American-Statesman reports that the sparsely populated counties of Dimmit, La Salle and Frio southwest of San Antonio are all wrestling with drug crimes that were few and far between before 2008.
Area hospitals are seeing more drug-related overdoses, injuries from vehicle accidents and drug-related violence.
Experts say oil field workers flush with cash are seen as opportunities to expand drug sales. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates more than 43,000 people have moved to the Eagle Ford region since the boom began in 2008.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Trump Says Illegal Immigration Increased Car Insurance but Experts Say Otherwise 
Space Startups Seek Insurance for Orbital AI Data Centers 
Mississippi Insurance Dept. Top Examiner Named in $90M Credit Union Theft Suit 
KPMG Australia Scandal Widens After it Confirms Optus Data Was Misused From This Issue
