18 SWAT officers hospitalized after possible exposure to fentanyl during raid

Eighteen SWAT officers were taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital after the exposure caused them to become dizzy and suffer numbness

August 9, 2017

More than a dozen SWAT team officers were hospitalized Wednesday after agents raided a home in the West End, CBS Pittsburgh reports.

Around 6 a.m., several agencies began executing federal search warrants at three homes. At one of the locations, SWAT team members were exposed to an unknown airborne chemical substance. The U.S. Attorney's Office believes the chemical substance may have been fentanyl.

Eighteen SWAT officers were taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital after the exposure caused them to become dizzy and suffer numbness. All have since been medically cleared.

The agencies involved in the raid included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security, Pittsburgh police, Pittsburgh SWAT and state police.

Several people were arrested in the drug raids. Authorities say charges will be filed in the U.S. District Court for Pittsburgh.