Overview
- Alex Witkoff referenced his late brother Andrew’s 2011 overdose in a post praising the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro, saying critics were turning their backs on families affected by drug deaths.
- The post drew sharp rebukes from journalists and commenters, with Max Blumenthal highlighting a family lawsuit and noting OxyContin is produced by Purdue Pharma, not Venezuela.
- X’s Community Notes pinned a clarification that Andrew Witkoff died from OxyContin, an opioid developed by Purdue Pharma, and that Maduro is accused of trafficking cocaine, a different drug.
- The post amassed close to one million views in a day as outlets like Drop Site News stressed Venezuela does not produce OxyContin and pointed to the Sackler family’s role in the U.S. opioid crisis.
- No retraction or official response from Alex Witkoff or the administration is reported as criticism of the post’s framing continued online.