A synthetic opioid that experts say is 10 times more potent than fentanyl has reached the Bay Area, and the first confirmed death has ties to Southern Marin.
Dante Paul Lacourte, 16, died April 7 in his mother's San Francisco apartment from an overdose of cychlorphine, a drug so new that standard fentanyl test strips cannot detect it. His father, Ludovic Lacourte, a tech consultant and winemaker, lives in Sausalito. Dante's ashes are interred under an oak tree at a Mill Valley cemetery, the Marin IJ reported Monday, Sept. 14, publishing a New York Times investigation.
Dante's death is the only time cychlorphine has appeared on a San Francisco coroner's report, according to the investigation. Health experts say the drug can require multiple doses of Narcan to reverse, though most people carry only one or two.
San Francisco police arrested four suspects Sept. 8 and 9 in connection with the case. At a Monday, Sept. 14, press conference, Mayor Daniel Lurie, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Police Chief Derrick Lew announced the arrests and warned residents about the emerging threat.
"San Francisco was caught flatfooted by the fentanyl crisis. We will not let that happen again," Lurie said at the press conference, according to the Voice of SF.
Police seized 20,000 pills, including suspected counterfeit Xanax and oxycodone, along with fentanyl, a semiautomatic rifle, a pistol and cash from a Bayview-Hunters Point residence connected to two of the suspects. A Tenderloin location linked to two others yielded 34 oxycodone pills and cocaine.
Why Southern Marin parents should pay attention
Cychlorphine was created in a Belgian research lab in the 1960s as an experimental painkiller. It was never approved for medical use. Keith Humphreys, a Stanford University psychiatry professor and former senior drug policy adviser in the Obama administration, told the New York Times the recipe is now available online.
The drug has appeared in Europe and on the East Coast over the past two years. Dante's death marked its first confirmed appearance in the Bay Area.
Dante had struggled with ADHD, anxiety and depression. By 13, he was buying pills from dealers on Snapchat, according to the Marin IJ report. His parents placed him in three rehabilitation programs. His father described the treatment system as broken and said the family was trying to keep Dante alive long enough for him to find his own way.
Cychlorphine is not listed as a controlled substance under California law. Jenkins called on the state Legislature to add it. Prosecutors can pursue charges under the state's controlled-substance analog law, but doing so requires expert testimony, according to the Voice of SF. The federal government has taken only temporary action on the drug while a permanent prohibition is considered.
Opioid overdose is the leading cause of death in Marin County among residents 55 and under, according to a 2024 county report.
Where to find free Narcan in Southern Marin
OD Free Marin lists several locations with free naloxone available around the clock:
- Mill Valley Public Library, 375 Throckmorton Ave. NaloxBox on a light post out front.
- Marin City Fire Station, 850 Drake Ave., Sausalito. Vending machine outside.
- Corte Madera Library, 707 Meadowsweet Drive. NaloxBox available 24/7.
Health officials warn that Narcan may be less effective against cychlorphine than against fentanyl, and multiple doses may be needed. Two of the four suspects were scheduled for arraignment Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Hall of Justice, with the remaining two set to appear Sept. 23.
