The Washoe County Sheriff is sounding the alarm on the opioid crisis.

He says Reno has become a drug dealer's pit stop and it's killing people.

Washoe County deputies are begging parents to warn their children about the deadly drugs.

“We're not just asking, we're pleading with parents. Because, you can't wait till tomorrow to talk to your kids about the dangers of drugs [and] more importantly, the dangers that all drugs may have Fentanyl in them,” said Sheriff Darin Balaam.

He says too many drugs sold on the streets of Northern Nevada have a deadly dose of Fentanyl.

"Now, halfway through smoking that marijuana you take a puff [from], you get that Fentanyl, and unfortunately before you know it, you're now diseased,” Balaam described a scenario.

Authorities blame Mexican cartels for importing the drug from China through the southern border, up California and towards the east.

Reno has become a pit stop along I-80 for drug traffickers heading east.

In June deputies arrested a Covina man accused of smuggling 2,000 Fentanyl pills they believe were destined for the streets of Reno.

Across the west, younger people have become targets.

The crisis has gotten so bad, the DEA says they seized at least 12,000 pounds of Fentanyl this year.

"This year alone, DEA has seized enough fentanyl to provide every member of the United States population with a lethal dose,” said Anne Milgram, DEA Administrator.

Investigators say a dealer sold the pill on Snapchat to a 14-year-old middle school boy, ultimately killing him in Southern California.

Now, Orange County prosecutors have begun following the footsteps of the Riverside District Attorney’s Office, charging drug dealers with murder, and Washoe County could began doing the same

“If we can prove a drug dealer, based upon the drugs they sold somebody that overdoses and dies, we will be looking to see if we can charge that person with murder,” Balaam added.

However, he also blaming lawmakers for reducing the amount of time someone can be thrown in prison for carrying deadly drugs.

"It was 10 grams and it was level one trafficking which is 20 [years] to life [in prison]. So, there was a little bit of fear [that] if you were a drug dealer, if we caught you with that amount, you were going to prison for a long time."

Now prosecutors can only seek long term sentences if criminals are caught with at least 100 grams, leaving Balaam with only one option.

"If you are out there and you're a parent, you need to talk to your kids tonight,” Balaam added.

"Losing my son has been the worst thing I've ever experienced,” an emotional mother told reporters.