SEATTLE – For a fifth straight year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will show its support for “Song for Charlie” and our many valued partners in law enforcement, public health, and non-profit agencies in recognizing National Fentanyl Awareness Day on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Six months ago, DEA intensified its...

SEATTLE– The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will host the 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at nearly 4,200 locations nationwide. Twice a year, DEA joins forces with local law enforcement and community groups to host DEA’s National Prescription...

SEATTLE – Marking a powerful start to 2026, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration dealt a significant blow to drug trafficking networks during Phase II of Operation Fentanyl Free America. Between January 12 and February 10, 2026, DEA seized more than 4.7 million fentanyl pills and nearly 2,396 pounds of fentanyl...

SEATTLE – A 36-year-old former anesthesiology resident at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Harborview and University of Washington Medical Centers was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to one year of supervised release including 200 hours of community service for diverting narcotic pain medication to his own use while...

PORTLAND, Ore. — Dr. Brenda Brown-Carlson, a Portland veterinarian, was sentenced to 60 months of supervised probation on January 13, 2026, in Multnomah County Circuit Court as part of a plea agreement. Brown-Carlson admitted to diverting controlled substances for her personal use and replacing them with saline, impacting the treatment...

SEATTLE– The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is intensifying its fight against the deadly threat of synthetic opioids with the launch of Fentanyl Free America, a comprehensive enforcement initiative and public awareness campaign aimed at reducing both the supply and demand for fentanyl. This effort underscores DEA's unwavering commitment to protecting...

YAKIMA, Wash. – On November 14, 2025, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an Indictment charging Anna Elperin, age 42, with 26 felony counts relating to prescriptions for controlled substances and Department of Transportation commercial driver’s licenses physical examinations Elperin wrote and performed at her...

SEATTLE –The Drug Enforcement Administration, in collaboration with nearly 4,000 law enforcement partners across the country, will host the 29th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. At nearly 4,000 collection sites throughout the United States, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take...

SEATTLE- The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division is warning the public after a seizure of counterfeit M30 pills containing carfentanil in Western Washington. On Tuesday, September 16th, 2025, after a months-long investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Federal Way Police and Centralia Police seized...

SEATTLE, Wash.--Dr. Andrew Voegel-Podadera, 35, a resident physician at the University of Washington Medical School who worked at Seattle Children’s Hospital, UW Medicine, and Harborview Medical Center is charged with two counts of Acquiring a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Deception, and Subterfuge. On June 24th, 2025, DEA Seattle Diversion...