DEA seizes 570,000 fentanyl pills from Colorado in 1 week

The Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Field Division announced that it had seized approximately 570,000 fentanyl pills in operations earlier this month in Colorado. 

"The total number of pills seized so far this month proves the Mexican drug cartels are not slowing down production and distribution of this poison as we head into the summer months," said Jonathan Pullen, DEA RMFD Special Agent in charge. "Every day the men and women of DEA and our partner agencies are working hard to get fake fentanyl pills off the streets."

According to the DEA, special agents and members of multiple state and local law enforcement worked together to intercept shipments of 170,000 pills, 300,000 pills and 100,000 pills in three separate busts over the course of seven days earlier this month.

The investigation into the seized shipments remains ongoing, DEA says. 

The DEA also says the total represents nearly 22% of all fentanyl pill seizures in Colorado last year while a record 2.61 million fentanyl pills were seized in the state in 2023.

"As seen by the totals, Colorado is on pace to easily break last year's fake fentanyl pill seizure record of 2.61 million. Keep in mind, DEA lab testing shows seven of every 10 pills contain a potentially fatal dose of fentanyl. Seizing another 570,000 pills in Colorado means many lives have likely been saved," Pullen added.

The agency also urges families to emphasize the lethal nature of fentanyl with more than 108,000 Americans dead from a drug overdose/poisoning last year as 70% of incidents involved fentanyl.