Police in Wilton Manors, Florida recently arrested a man in connection with the sale of drugs that reportedly led to overdoses last week by several cadets from the U.S. Military Academy. The five West Pointers were in Florida for their Spring Break, and four of them were in cardiac arrest on the front lawn of a house when first responders arrived. Two had to be hospitalized.
Bob Maginnis is senior fellow for national security at the Family Research Council and a graduate of West Point.
"I believe it was a mixture of fentanyl and cocaine [that they took] – and I believe [two of] these people were football players, which certainly at the Academy football players have always had a privileged place. So, I don't know if that is a factor or not," he shares with AFN.
"But [young men in their] late teens, early 20s – no matter where they are and how smart they are in terms of books and the like – often don't demonstrate the best judgment."
And Maginnis argues their poor judgment should have consequences.
"They should be kicked out [of the Academy]; I have no sympathy for them. We don't need that in the officer corps," he states. "In my day, they would have been kicked out immediately if it was confirmed that they were taking illicit drugs. I don't want them running operations in future – not people who have bad judgment."
Officials at West Point say they're investigating the incident.
