DEA warns of deadly counterfeit pills – The Taylorsville Times

DEA seized 1.8 million counterfeit pills and arrested 810 nationwide

At a news conference on October 1, 2021, Assistant Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram announced a significant surge in law enforcement to protect American communities from the flood of fentanyl and pills containing fentanyl in the United States . Illegal fentanyl, a synthetic opioid found in most seized counterfeit pills, is the leading cause of the recent surge in overdose deaths in the United States.

“Illegal fentanyl was responsible for nearly three-quarters of the more than 93,000 fatal drug overdoses in the United States in 2020,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco. “The proliferation of these illicit drugs and the all too often fatal overdoses pose a significant threat to public safety and health in this country. The Department will continue to use all resources at its disposal to save lives and continue to use the strong enforcement efforts complement public awareness and public awareness campaigns. “

“For the past eight weeks DEA has been targeting criminal drug networks that are flooding the US with deadly fentanyl-infused counterfeit pills,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “DEA remains steadfast in its commitment to reducing drug-related violence and overdose deaths by dismantling the violent, criminal drug distribution networks in the United States. The fentanyl-fortified counterfeit pills seized by DEA could potentially kill more than 700,000 Americans. I urge the American public today to speak to their loved ones about the threats and dangers of counterfeit pills and the simple fact that one pill can kill. “

“During the country’s opioid crisis, counterfeit prescription pills such as Percocet, Xanax and Oxycontin continue to be abused with alarming frequency,” said DEA Atlanta Field Division (AFD) special agent Robert J. Murphy. The AfD includes the states of Georgia, North and South Carolina. These dangerous and potentially fatal pills often contain a lethal dose (about two milligrams – the approximate size of a pencil lead number two (2)) of fentanyl. Accordingly, the DEA Atlanta Field Division put all hands on deck and carried out a steadfast assault on the drug distribution networks that were directly responsible for promoting these toxic pills. The fruitful results of this operation should let counterfeit pill sellers know that DEA will continue to confront, engage and eradicate the drug trade to protect our communities. “

Mexican criminal drug networks are mass producing illegal fentanyl and fentanyl fortified counterfeit pills using chemicals largely sourced from China and distributing these pills through US criminal networks. These counterfeit pills are designed to appear almost identical to legitimate prescriptions like Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax®, and other drugs. Criminal drug networks sell these pills through social media, e-commerce, the dark web, and existing distribution networks. As a result, these fake pills have become widespread. The US Department of Justice will continue to work closely with its international partners in Mexico and around the world to aggressively identify and prosecute members of these drug networks.
These fake pills are deadlier than ever. DEA laboratory tests show that four in 10 counterfeit fentanyl tablets today contain a potentially lethal dose. Additionally, the number of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl has increased nearly 430 percent since 2019.

On August 3, 2021, DEA launched nationwide law enforcement efforts to combat the alarming increase in the availability and lethality of fentanyl-fortified counterfeit pills. Fentanyl – in powder and tablet form – is a major public health threat, killing tens of thousands of Americans. In the past two months, DEA, working with law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local levels, seized 1.8 million counterfeit fentanyl pills and arrested 810 drug traffickers in cities, suburbs and rural communities across the United States. The amount of deadly fentanyl-fortified counterfeit pills that DEA has seized since Aug. 3 is enough to kill more than 700,000 Americans. These recent seizures add to the more than 9.5 million potentially fatal counterfeit pills DEA seized in the past year, which is more than the last two years combined.

During the two-month law enforcement attack on counterfeit pills, DEA also seized 712 kilograms of fentanyl powder: enough to make tens of millions of deadly pills. DEA seized 158 weapons and many of the enforcement actions have resulted in violence and overdose deaths. DEA also seized 4,011 kilograms of methamphetamine and 653 kilograms of cocaine.

DEA issued a public safety warning on Monday, September 27th, 2021 warning the American public of the increasing availability of counterfeit pills, deadlier than ever, easy to acquire, widespread and often used Containing fatal doses of fentanyl. DEA also launched the One Pill Can Kill campaign to educate the American public about the dangers of counterfeit prescription pills. The only safe drugs are those prescribed by a trusted doctor and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. Any pills that do not meet this standard are unsafe and potentially fatal.

More information is available at DEA.Gov/onepill.