A Maryland judge sentenced a mother whose baby was born addicted to heroin to 30 years in prison for the death of her son on Monday. The newborn boy suffered a traumatic brain injury, had rarely been fed during his nine days of life, and was most likely born addicted to heroin.

Anne Kirsch, 37, of Baltimore gave birth to Matthew Kirsch Jr. in October 2015, at work in the repair bay of an auto repair shop, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Prosecutors told the jury that the baby boy was apparently born with a heroin addiction and had to suffer from the excruciating effects of withdrawal, the local newspaper stated. Kirsch admitted that she used heroin when she was pregnant as well as the night before her son died. The infant also suffered from malnutrition and physical abuse.

An autopsy revealed the child had “a traumatic brain injury consistent with having his head slammed against a flat surface,” the local publication reported. The doctors who examined him also said his stomach was empty and that he died after being abused and neglected.

The judge convicted Kirsch of child abuse and manslaughter last year. In a related case, the court sentenced Matthew Kirsch, Sr. (39) to 15 years in prison last July after he pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death. If he violates the terms of his release, he will receive an additional 10 years in prison. Anne Kirsch will receive an additional 45 years in prison if she violates the terms of her release.

The state attorney for Baltimore said in a released statement: “My heart breaks that this child suffered through nine days of heroin withdrawals, blunt force trauma, and starvation.” Marilyn Mosby added, “Both parents had an obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of the life they chose to bring into this world.”

Last November, Breitbart News reported that Mexican drug cartel super-labs that increase the purity of illegal drugs, including heroin, and a prescription painkiller epidemic was driving up overdose death rates in California. The Los Angeles Times reported that the heroin in San Diego County is transported there exclusively from Mexico. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported that testing of the drug in laboratories showed that Mexican powder heroin is extremely pure. Mexican cartels illegally import methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana as well as heroin. Heroin supplies from the East Coast are usually trafficked in from China.

Breitbart Texas’ Editor-in-Chief Brandon Darby and journalist Ildefonso Ortiz reported in late October that Mexican drug cartels continue to be the greatest criminal threat to our country. The DEA reported that they are largely to blame for the current opioid epidemic in the United States.

Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for citizens in the United States under the age of 50, Breitbart News reported. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that more than 500,000 Americans died from drug overdoses during a 15 year period and “the opioid overdose epidemic is worsening.” During 2013 to 2014, heroin overdoes in the country increased by 26 percent and have tripled since 2010.

Last week, Breitbart Texas reported that according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the database at the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that there have been more than 64,000 overdoses in 2016. The sharpest increase in drug overdose deaths in America has been caused by fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (synthetic opioids). The U.S. Department of Justice is now targeting opioid manufacturers and distributors who use false, deceptive, or unfair marketing to promote these extremely addictive drugs.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, Gab, and Facebook.