DEA: Colorado breaks yearly record for fentanyl seizures with one month left in 2024

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Rocky Mountain Field Division has seized 2.7 million fentanyl pills so far this year, breaking a record with one month left to go in 2024.

Testing reveals five out of every 10 pills contain a fatal dose of fentanyl for a first-time user.

Although the DEA is proud of the work it is doing to tackle the fentanyl crisis, agents say these numbers are nothing to celebrate.

“That’s what we’re laser-focused on — the two cartels most responsible for trafficking this poison, the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel. Here, we’re seizing more, but it really doesn’t matter if we continue still to lose so many lives each year,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Olesky.

Olesky said most of the pills recovered were pressed to look like blue prescription Oxycodone pills.

A new concerning trend the agency is seeing is carfentanil, an animal tranquilizer one hundred times more potent than fentanyl. The DEA seized 250,000 pills containing carfentanil on the Western Slope in November.

“With carfentanil, it’s a synthetic opiate so it’s highly addictive, it’s potent, but it’s also cheap for the cartels to utilize this drug and manufacture. And so the one thing that the cartels are motivated by is money. It’s greed,” Olesky said.

The DEA said more work needs to be done because while other states are seeing a large decline in drug seizures and overdose deaths, Colorado’s numbers are not following those trends.

You May Also Like

Medical professionals caution that cannabis can make anesthesia more complex during surgical procedures

Doctors warn cannabis can complicate surgeries by affecting anesthesia and heart rate,…

Miami-Dade sheriff halts school bus camera citation program due to errors in tickets

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla – Miami-Dade County has halted its school bus camera…

Exploring the Meaning and Rituals of the Spectacular ‘Holy Fire’ Ceremony in Jerusalem

The ceremony, which goes back at least 1,200 years, is a sight…

Another defendant gives testimony against best friend in trial for Alexa Bartell’s murder in Jeffco

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A second co-defendant testified that his close friend,…

Alysa Liu wins free skate at World Team Trophy for Team USA

The United States came out on top in the three-day competition, accumulating…

Orlando’s First Active Gaming Venue ‘Activate Orlando’ Now Open in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando’s entertainment scene is leveling up this weekend with…

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis approves and signs into law 4 bills- Find out when they will be implemented

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed four new bills into…

Environmental issues pose challenges for Central Florida during Earth Day festivities

ORLANDO, Fla. – Facing significant environmental challenges, Central Florida, like many other…

“Florida State University to Resume Classes on Monday Following Tragic Campus Shooting”

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Classes and business operations are set to resume on…

JD Vance Visits the Vatican in Wake of Papal Critique on Trump’s Immigration Policies

VATICAN CITY – U.S. Vice President JD Vance is having a meeting…

Daytona Beach business hit by car, injuring 2 with 1 in critical condition

The news release stated that during a two-vehicle crash in Daytona Beach,…

Vigil in Orlando for Man Shot and Killed in Magic Mall Parking Lot

ORLANDO, Fla. – Dozens of family members gathered at the Magic Mall…