The Rocky Mountain Field Division (RMFD) of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized nearly 800,000 fentanyl pills in Utah, surpassing the entire seizure total for 2023 within a six-month period. This information was disclosed in a July 25 news release from the DEA.
"It’s an unfortunate record to set, especially considering it took only a half-year to get there. The number of pills coming into Utah is obviously concerning. But this also shows that DEA and our partner agencies continue to disrupt the Sinaloa and Jalisco drug cartels based in Mexico," said Jonathan Pullen, DEA RMFD Special Agent in Charge.
According to the news release, fentanyl pills are inexpensive to produce, costing anywhere from two to four cents per pill. These pills are sold for $5-$6 each in Salt Lake City and even more in rural areas of the state.
"Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat in our country, and we continue to see an increase in the number of pills seized in cases involving the distribution of fentanyl in Utah. One of the fentanyl distribution cases my office prosecuted this year included the seizure of about 200,000 fentanyl pills, which is worth nearly half a million dollars ($450,000). Considering that more than half of those pills likely contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, the danger to our communities is staggering. My office is committed to stopping this poison from being distributed in our communities by prosecuting those responsible," said United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah.
Testing reveals that seven out of ten fentanyl pills have a dose that could potentially kill a user. More than 70% of drug poisoning deaths in the United States involved fentanyl.
The RMFD includes Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana; Colorado and Montana could also break 2023 records, although Wyoming is currently behind 2023 seizure levels, according to the July 25 news release.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration was created in 1973 to enforce controlled substances laws and regulations and bring organizations involved in illicit drug trafficking to justice. The DEA also supports non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances.
