Congressional Affairs
PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY
Heightened Threat: Fentanyl Mixed with Emerging Synthetic Drugs
The United States continues to face an unprecedented and evolving drug threat driven by illicit fentanyl, which is increasingly mixed with a dangerous array of synthetic substances emerging in the illicit market. These combinations are making an already deadly drug supply even more unpredictable and lethal.
Law enforcement and public health officials are seeing fentanyl combined with highly potent substances such as xylazine, nitazenes, cychlorphine, and medetomidine. Many of these substances are not approved for human use and are often undetectable to the user.
DEA Administrator Cole's Statement Regarding More than 25 Defendants Charged in Nationwide Tren de Aragua Crackdown in HSTF Investigations
“DEA has been instrumental in dismantling factions of the violent foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua, with enforcement actions spanning from Colorado to Tennessee, Florida, and beyond,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “TdA fuels instability and chaos, threatening communities across the United States. By leveraging DEA’s expertise alongside our federal partners through the Homeland Security Taskforce, we are harnessing the full force of the U.S. government to protect and safeguard our nation.”
* 2 mg of fentanyl equates to a potentially deadly dose
DEA Fentanyl Seizures in 2026
In 2025, DEA seized more than 47 million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and nearly 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. The 2025 seizures are equivalent to more than 369 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
The 2026 fentanyl seizures represent over 67 million deadly doses. *
updated: March 30, 2026
The 2026 fentanyl seizures represent over 67 million deadly doses. *
updated: March 30, 2026
Millions of Fentanyl Pills Seized
+ 8.4
Pounds of Fentanyl Powder Seized
+ lbs. 2783
* 2 mg of fentanyl equates to a potentially deadly dose
Statements for the Record
February 1, 2023 - Statement of Associate Administrator Jon DeLena - Lives Worth Living: Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis, Protecting Critical Lifelines, and Combatting Discrimination Against Those with Disabilities
February 15, 2023 - Statement of Administrator Anne Milgram - Countering Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking
April 27, 2023 - Statement of Administrator Anne Milgram - Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Drug Enforcement Administration
May 10, 2023 - Statement of Administrator Anne Milgram - A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Requests for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
June 21, 2023 - Statement of Matthew J. Strait Deputy Assistant Administrator Diversion Control Division - Responding to America's Overdose Crisis: An Examination of Legislation to Build Upon the SUPPORT Act
July 12, 2023 - Statement of Kemp L. Chester Senior Advisor, Office of National Drug Control Policy Committee on Homeland Security - Leading the Strategic Response to Disrupt the Flow of Illicit Fentanyl Across Our Borders
July 27, 2023 - Statement of Administrator Anne Milgram - Drug Enforcement Administration Oversight
October 24, 2023 - Statement of William F. Kimbell Chief of Operations Drug Enforcement Administration - Hearing Entitled, “TBD”
March 20, 2024 - Testimony of James Dunlap Deputy Under Secretary for Analysis Office of Intelligence and Analysis U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Examining the Current Status of Iran’s Axis of Resistance and the Implications for Homeland Security and U.S. Interests
April 30, 2024 - Statement of William F. Kimbell Chief of Operations Drug Enforcement Administration - Hearing Entitled, “TBD”
May 7, 2024 - Statement of Administrator Anne Milgram - Fiscal Year 2025 Request for the Drug Enforcement Administration