Drug Enforcement Administration Seized Over 10 Million Fentanyl Pills in Just 4 Months: Justice Department

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized approximately 47,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills, 186,000 blue fentanyl pills, and 6.5 pounds of meth hidden in a floor compartment of a vehicle at the Nogales port of entry on the southern border with Mexico on Sept. 3, 2022. U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized millions of fentanyl pills as part of the “One Pill Can Kill” initiative, an enforcement operation that spanned from May to September.

“The DEA and its law enforcement partners seized more than 10.2 million fentanyl pills and approximately 980 pounds of fentanyl powder during the period of May 23 through Sept. 8, 2022. The amount of fentanyl taken off the streets during this surge is equivalent to more than 36 million lethal doses removed from the illegal drug supply,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a Sept. 27 press release.

During the enforcement operation period, 390 cases were investigated. Out of these cases, 35 had direct links to either the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) or the Sinaloa Cartel—the two primary criminal organizations from Mexico responsible for the majority of fentanyl in the United States.

“The Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG are ruthless, criminal organizations that use deception and treachery to drive addiction with complete disregard for human life,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

“To save American lives, the DEA is relentlessly focused on defeating the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG by degrading their operations to make it impossible for them to do business.” The “One Pill Can Kill” initiative was launched by the DEA in September 2021.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams is potentially enough to be lethal. In 2021, 107,622 Americans died from a drug overdose or poisoning, of which 60 percent were attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Curbing Fentanyl Distribution From China, Mexico

In July, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called on President Joe Biden to designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). In September, 18 attorneys general, both Republicans and Democrats, wrote a letter to Biden requesting the classification.

On Sept. 21, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order that designated Mexican cartels operating in the state as terrorist organizations.

At a press conference, Abbott justified the move by pointing out that Texans are victimized due to the cartels producing and importing fentanyl.

A majority of illicit fentanyl trafficked into the United States comes originally from China. In an interview with NTD’s “Capitol Report“ program, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) revealed that Chinese ambassador Qin Gang sought to deflect responsibility for the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States.

“He said, ‘We’re just selling legal products.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but those legal products combined are making fentanyl, and you’re doing nothing to make sure they don’t fall into the wrong hands,” Wenstrup said.

A former Fort Hood Army Sergeant was recently sentenced to 72 months in prison for distributing fentanyl, and on Sept. 27, a man from Midland, Texas, was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for possessing illegal fentanyl and firearms.

Eva Fu and Steve Lance contributed to this report.