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Houston Police Ratgeddon: Drugs and Vermin Collide
13 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Rats infested Houston Police Department's narcotics evidence vault.
- Thousands of pounds of drug evidence, some dating to 1984, were potentially compromised.
- Defense attorneys were notified in 3,600 active cases due to possible evidence contamination.
Newly released materials offer a detailed look into a significant rat infestation that plagued the Houston Police Department's narcotics evidence room. The infestation, which surfaced in late October 2024, saw rats compromising a vast quantity of drug evidence stored on the 25th floor of police headquarters. Internal emails and images depict rodents, some described as "huge," disturbing evidence, creating a problem that potentially impacted thousands of pounds of seized narcotics.
The severity of the issue led to mandatory notifications being sent to defense attorneys in over 3,600 active cases. While officials initially suggested rats primarily targeted older evidence, concerns grew about the potential spread of vermin and further contamination. Some evidence in the vault dated back to 1984, prompting plans to destroy aging marijuana to reduce stored volume.
