The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported a new record of 800,000 fentanyl pills seized in Utah over the past six months. These pills have been "flooding in" from Mexican cartels, according to a statement shared by the DEA on September 9 via X.
"A new record set in Utah as @DEAROCKYMTNDiv seized nearly 800K fentanyl pills in just 6 months, surpassing last year's total by 16.5," said Drug Enforcement Administration Head Quarters. "These pills, flooding in from Mexican cartels, pose a deadly threat to our communities."
According to a press release by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a record 774,000 fentanyl pills were seized from January 1 to June 30, 2024, surpassing the previous record by 16.5%. DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said, "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."
The 2024 DEA National Drug Threat Assessment names fentanyl the deadliest drug in American history, taking the lives of 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023. The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are responsible for the presence of fentanyl in all 50 U.S. states, producing the drug in Mexico and smuggling it into the United States for profit.
Mexican cartels' influence and operations have spread globally, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking, according to Police1. Cartel members bribe officials and infiltrate law enforcement, enabling long-term influence and control. The Sinaloa Cartel and Cártel Jalisco Nuevo Generación (CJNG) have established networks across the U.S. Investigations have revealed money laundering schemes and drug trafficking networks, demonstrating the cartels' impact on U.S. communities.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), cartels' drug trafficking and human smuggling operations gain nearly $1 billion per month. This money is being used to expand operations across the southwest border into the United States.
According to its website, the DEA is a federal government institution established "to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations involved in growing, manufacturing or distributing controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on domestic and international markets."
