Michael Brown, who formerly served as a senior special agent with the DEA, shared that the mix of money, parties, and youthful curiosity creates an ideal environment for drug dealers eager to exploit trust and the misconception of safety. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to tragic outcomes. Dealers have been lacing drugs with fentanyl, which has sparked a surge in overdose deaths, he mentioned.

“Young adults are going to try drugs,” Brown noted. “That’s inevitable… But the danger lies in not knowing what substances you’re consuming. If I make a mistake, it could be fatal in just 30 seconds.”

Every year, over 100,000 people across the country lose their lives to drug overdoses. However, there was a slight decrease from about 111,000 deaths in 2022 to around 107,500, marking the first decline in five years, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Local dealers mix cocaine with small amounts of fentanyl — not necessarily in lethal quantities, but enough to boost the high and ensnare new users,” said Brown, who is the global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices.

“We’re discussing individuals who are often financially comfortable, especially the young — they have the resources to spend. Drug traffickers are aware this is a prime market for distribution. Dealers are preying on people unaware they are purchasing fentanyl.”

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“Fentanyl transcends all racial, ethnic, religious, and economic boundaries,” he continued. “It affects every community, including high-income, middle-income, and low-income areas.”

One lifelong Montauk resident and business owner in his 70s lamented the dramatic transformation in the town’s character over the past few decades. 

Once a tight-knit fishing village where “everybody knew everybody,” Montauk has, in his view, become an enclave for wealthy outsiders and partygoers who have little connection to the community. 

He reminisced about the summers when Irish youth would come over to work seasonal jobs in bars, restaurants, and marinas — often forming lasting bonds with locals and leaving with fond memories. 

“The most you’d see wrong with them was a few drinks,” he said, calling them “completely innocent compared to this other class that’s coming out here.” 

Now, he said, Montauk draws “spoiled kids using their parents’ credit cards” and has become a hub for influencers and drug use. He said that over-priced hotel rooms and bottle-service clubs have fed into a culture of overspend and synthetic highs — where image matters above all else.

“Montauk was known as a small fishing village with a drinking problem. That is very true,” he said. “Now it’s… craziness.” 

Still, for most of Montauk, life carried on this week.

Wednesday night at the Montauk Yacht Club, the restaurant was bustling with well‑to‑do patrons in evening attire. In one corner, about two dozen people participated in a wine‑tasting session — a reminder of Montauk’s upscale side.

During the day, families strolled barefoot across golden sand. Kids slurped ice cream outside weathered beachfront shacks and the town’s beloved cafés buzzed with brunch crowds ordering iced lattes and açaí bowls. The sun spilled across the docks and dunes. Young people played beach volleyball, and for a moment, it was easy to forget anything dark had ever touched this place.

But a tragedy had, and on Wednesday evening, a woman walked quietly to the marina — to the boat where Nolan had been found. 

She remembered Nolan as kind, warm, and driven — someone who was just beginning to make a name for herself, a view shared by many other boaters. 

“She was very sweet, very genuine,” the woman said through tears. “She was just getting started. It’s heartbreaking.”