COLORADO, USA — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said Wednesday that a record amount of fentanyl was seized last year – but their ultimate message is raising awareness that just one pill can kill.
"Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing our nation and is now the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45," said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky.
Last year, in Colorado alone, the DEA and local law enforcement seized 425 kilograms of fentanyl, amounting to 2.6 million pills. According to the agency, lab tests showed that seven out of 10 pills contained a lethal dose. Just a couple of years, ago the ratio was four in 10 pills, according to the agency.
"Those numbers paint a picture of the sobering reality of the extent to which the cartels continue to flood our communities with this poison," Olesky said.
A potentially deadly dose is considered just 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is approximately the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil.
The illicit drugs are primarily trafficked along the Interstate 70 and Interstate 25 corridors, and most come from two cartels that the DEA is "laser-focused" on bringing down. There are 48 active investigations involving the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, Olesky said.
More than 112,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023, according to the latest data from the CDC. Olesky said nearly 70% of those deaths involved fentanyl.
"I continually meet people who don't know what fentanyl is or the threat that it poses," Olesky said.
He said it's cheaper to buy a pill than a candy bar, that drugs are easily accessible through social media and that with just a few clicks of a button, drugs can arrive at anyone's front door. Summits are held in Colorado and across the country where members of the DEA meet with families of those affected by fentanyl.
"Too common a thing raised during these family summits by the family members who have lost a loved one is the regret," he said. "The regret of not having that tough conversation. Talking about fentanyl with their friends, their family, their children about the threats of fentanyl."
In 2023, across the Rocky Mountain Field Division, which covers Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming, a total of 567.34 kilograms of fentanyl was seized. That equates to 3.4 million pills. By comparison, the RMFD seized 565,200 fentanyl pills in 2021 and 1.9 million fentanyl pills in 2022.
"One pill can kill," Olesky said. "It's also just as important to note that one conversation can save. Have those tough conversations."
Additional resources can be found at dea.gov/onepill.
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