Mom Fights Xylazine After Son's Fentanyl Death

Frederica Roberson, a Gwinnett County mother, traveled to Washington D.C. recently to champion a federal law targeting xylazine. This veterinary tranquilizer is increasingly being mixed into street drugs like fentanyl and heroin by dealers. Roberson's son, Marquavies, died in 2025 after he believed he was taking a Percocet, only for it to be laced with fentanyl and xylazine.

Xylazine causes severe, non-healing wounds and is not responsive to Narcan, the opioid overdose reversal medication. Roberson founded the Marquavies Bernard Broughton Foundation to address the issue. She joined approximately 20 parents in Washington as senators debated the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. This bill aims to classify xylazine as a controlled substance, empowering the DEA to track its distribution. A full Senate vote is anticipated soon, offering hope for legislative change.