Federal authorities have made an arrest in connection with the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, law enforcement sources told The Times on Thursday.
Few details were available and officials have scheduled a news conference for later in the morning.
Sources told The Times that several search warrants were served on targets of the investigation and evidence was seized.
Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his pool at his Pacific Palisades home on Oct. 28. Traces of ketamine, which is sometimes used to treat depression, were found in his stomach, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
But the level found in his blood was about the same as would be used during general anesthesia, his autopsy showed.
The Times reported in June that investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Service had linked several people to the acquisition of ketamine.
The drug Perry ingested caused cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression, the medical examiner said. Other factors contributing to his death included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid use disorder.
The autopsy report indicated Perry had no other drugs in his system and had been sober for 19 months at the time of his death. There was no evidence of illicit drugs or paraphernalia in his home.
The medical examiner also noted that Perry, 54, had diabetes and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. At one point, he had a habit of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.
A coroner's investigator interviewed a person close to Perry, who described him as “in good spirits” and said he had quit smoking two weeks before his death and was weaning himself off ketamine.
Ketamine is a legal drug commonly used as an anesthetic.
But it is increasingly being offered in private clinics without a prescription to treat depression and other mental disorders. In 2006, the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that an intravenous dose of ketamine had rapid antidepressant effects.
Experts have said that ketamine is generally safe and that there are few reported cases of overdose. However, people who suffer from underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure or respiratory problems, are at higher risk of adverse outcomes.
