Drugs are harmful. They destroy innocence.

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The evidence is clear that our children must be protected from substance use environments.
This aligns with Article 33 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child - the only UN human
rights convention that specifically mentions drugs, mandating that member states protect
children from illicit substance use.

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Learn more about why this matters in this excellent short
video from Dalgarno: UN Convention of Rights of the Child Article 33: Protection Against
Drug Use - Eindhoven Declaration sign the petition on www.ovom.org

Our stand on Medical Marijuana

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There has been no regulatory research investigating the therapeutic benefits of medical
cannabis. Through industry lobbying, people are being fooled and poison is being sold as
medicine, not through science.

Why the Global Parents’ Network is Needed
 Parents are not being heard.
 Families are suffering from harmful drug policies.
 We must speak openly: drugs are destroying families.
 No parent should be afraid to share their story.
 Parents deserve respect, support, and a strong voice.
 Sponsorship is needed to spread awareness.
 We want to help prevent drug problems before they begin.
 We must act against drug sales in places where children gather.

Support the Global Parents´ Platform
 Organize awareness events
 Ask what you can do’

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Parents Stories
Real stories from parents who have successfully navigated drug prevention
challenges and helped their children make healthy choices.

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Audrey Simons
10/31/2025|Updated: 10/31/2025 published Epoch Times 7 November 2025
5 More People Arrested in Connection to Overdose Death of Robert De Niro’s Grandson
Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, 19, was found dead inside a friend’s Manhattan apartment in July 2023.

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Robert De Niro speaks on stage during The Canva Director's Brunch at City Winery in New York on June 12, 2023. Mike Coppola/Getty
Images for 2023 Tribeca Festival

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Five additional suspects have been arrested in connection with the overdose death of actor
Robert De Niro’s grandson, Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) has announced.
According to an Oct. 30 press release, the defendants—Bruce Epperson, Grant McIver, Eddie
Barreto, John Nicolas, and Roy Nicolas—have been charged with “participating in a
conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and other drugs,” resulting in the deaths of De Niro-
Rodriguez, Akira Stein—the daughter of Blondie co-founder Chris Stein—and a third
unnamed victim, all aged 19.
“On or about May 30, 2023, Stein—who is identified in the Indictment as Victim-1—died in
her family’s apartment in downtown Manhattan after ingesting fentanyl-laced pills that she
had purchased from John Nicolas and Roy Nicolas one day earlier,” the report states. “Over
the six months leading up to her fatal overdose, John Nicolas and Roy Nicolas repeatedly
sold numerous fentanyl-laced pills to Stein. Stein suffered multiple non-fatal overdoses as a
result of ingesting those pills.”
De Niro-Rodriguez was found dead inside a friend’s Manhattan apartment on July 2, 2023,
after ingesting a similar pill that he allegedly purchased from a woman named Sophia Marks,
then 20.
Marks, who allegedly obtained the drugs from McIver, Epperson, and Barreto, was arrested
later that month and charged with one count of distributing and possessing with intent to
distribute fentanyl and alprazolam, also known as Xanax, per a Justice Department press
release published July 14, 2023.
De Niro-Rodriguez is the son of Robert De Niro’s eldest daughter, 54-year-old Drena De
Niro. The actress, who appeared alongside Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in the 2018 film
“A Star Is Born,” penned a moving tribute to her son after his death, calling him her
“beautiful sweet angel.”
“I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly,” she
wrote in part. “You have been my joy, my heart, and all that was ever pure and real in my
life. I wish I was with you right now.”
The five newly arrested men have been accused of working with a criminal network that
distributed thousands of counterfeit prescription opioid pills laced with fentanyl and other
drugs across New York City.
Prosecutors allege that the suspects used social media platforms, including Snapchat,
Instagram, and TikTok, and encrypted messaging apps to maximize the reach of their drug
businesses, specifically targeting teenagers and young adults in the process.
In a statement, DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said justice has been
delivered.
“While the arrest of these five individuals will not bring back the lives lost, we hope it brings
some measure of closure to the families who continue to grieve the loss of their loved
ones,” he said.
“These arrests serve as a stark reminder of the dangers that social media can pose, and of
the predators who hide behind social media applications, looking to exploit our youth and
sell their fentanyl pills through digital connections.

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“Whether you deal on computer screens or on our streets, the DEA and our law
enforcement partners remain committed to targeting those responsible. This is a fight to
save lives.”

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