Officials warn of fruit-flavored cocaine being sold in Arizona

An Arizona man has been sentenced to 21 months in prison and fines for selling cocaine in various fruit flavors.

Jaden Alfredo Covarrubias sold drugs and offered to sell more via messaging app WhatsApp, and in particular offered to sell someone 1.55 pounds of flavored cocaine on July 17. Covarrubias offered customers coconut, strawberry and banana flavors of cocaine, said the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes recently highlighted the case to warn residents about the new flavored varieties of cocaine.

“Today we are issuing a consumer alert for this new illegal drug that’s being sold to kids and young women. It’s called flavored cocaine, and it’s being sold in flavors like pina colada, strawberry, coconut, and banana. Drugs like cocaine are often laced with deadly fentanyl and we want everyone to be aware of it,” Ms. Mayes said.

Covarrubias was sentenced on Nov. 24. In addition to his prison time, he also has to pay $4,800 to the state, $4,500 of it going to the state’s anti-racketeering fund and the remainder to pay the cost of investigating his crimes.

Covarrubias initially pleaded guilty to state drug charges on Oct. 24.