Only a few weeks after a number of inmate overdoses were reported at the L.A. County Inmate Reception Center, authorities also arrested two men who were delivering illegal narcotics into a county prison.

“During a routine welfare check of the inmates, Sheriff’s Department personnel discovered five inmates in the cell were unresponsive or disorientated,” said a LASD news release. “It was determined that one of the inmates was no longer breathing and had no signs of life.”

The entire ordeal was caught on tape, as deputies and medical staff assigned to the Correctional Health Services (CHS) performed CPR on the unresponsive man.

“For more than five minutes, deputies and medical worked feverishly to revive the inmate, who continued to show no vital signs, while paramedics were called and responded,” the news release continued.

Narcan, a life saving drug administered directly to overdose patients, was administered by both the CHS and paramedics that arrived on scene in conjunction with the CPR procedures already being utilized.

“After several seconds, the man suddenly came back to life, demonstrating full vital signs,” stated the news release.

All five inmates were transported to a local hospital, and all five made a full recovery after a period of observation, according to officials.

“One of the inmates was later found to be in possession of an opioid medication called Fentanyl he had secreted in a body cavity,” said the news release. “It is believed he shared the potentially deadly drug with the other inmates in the holding cell, apparently believing it was methamphetamine.”

Additionally, nearly two weeks after these five overdoses, Joseph Chavez, 39, of Van Nuys, and Jimmy Villanueva, 42, of Buena Park were arrested on three felony drug charges, including smuggling narcotics into a jail facility, conspiracy to commit crime and possession of narcotics on jail property.

Booking logs show the arresting agency listed as the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station; however Public Information Officer Shirley Miller said the arrests were handled by deputies at the Pitchess Detention Center.

It is unclear at this time if these two alleged drug smugglers helped bring in the drugs that led to these inmate overdoses, but LASD is saying that these arrests and the overdose incidences are connected to a larger problem.

“This incident makes it clear that the opioid and heroin epidemic can extend beyond the streets of our communities,” said Sheriff Jim McDonnell, in a statement regarding the overdoses. “In this case, it was able to reach into our controlled correctional environment.”

Chavez is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 8 and his bail was set at $25,000. No court date information was available for Villanueva as of the publication of this story.

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