DEA Seized 379 Million Doses of Fentanyl in 2022

Posted: January 06, 2023

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the biggest drug threat currently facing our country is fentanyl, a “highly addictive man-made opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin.”

Here’s a scary thought: only two milligrams of fentanyl—an amount so small that it can fit onto the tip of a pencil—can be a potentially deadly dose.

In 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 50.6 million “fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder.” The DEA Laboratory revealed that this number represents more than “379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl.”

According to a recent announcement, the DEA seized more “than double the amount of fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills in 2022 than it seized in 2021. The agency also seized “nearly 131,000 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 4,300 pounds of heroin, and over 444,000 pounds of cocaine.” The bulk of the fake fentanyl prescription pills are produced by the Sinaloa and CJNG Cartels in Mexico with chemicals obtained from China. The fake pills are created to look like common prescriptions like “OxyContin®, Percocet®, and Xanax®.”

Here are a few ways to protect yourself from this ongoing threat:

• The bulk of fake prescription pills is sold on social media so always assume that it is not safe to purchase a pharmaceutical pill on social media.
• Always assume that safe medications are only prescribed by a reputable medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.
• Avoid using illegal drugs.

The good news is that the DEA is committed to “protecting Americans and save lives, by tenaciously pursuing those responsible for the trafficking of fentanyl across the United States. DEA’s top operational priority is to defeat the two Mexican drug cartels—the Sinaloa and Jalisco (CJNG) Cartels—that are primarily responsible for the fentanyl that is killing Americans today.”

Info Cubic continuously monitors news pertaining to employee drug testing and drug use in the United States. For information on fentanyl or regarding matters pertaining to employee drug testing, please contact our Client Service Ninjas at (877) 360-4636.

Stay safe.