United States Drug Enforcement Administration

HOUSTON – As 2022 comes to an end, the Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Field Division is announcing the seizure of over 670,000 fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 230 pounds of fentanyl powder this year. The DEA Laboratory estimates that these seizures represent more than 7 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl.

Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive man-made opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose.

“The men and women of the DEA Houston Field Division tirelessly worked to eradicate over 7 million deadly doses of fentanyl from our communities across the southern, eastern, and western parts of the state," said Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Division Daniel C. Comeaux. "These seizures are a testament to the imminent threat the Sinaloa and Jalisco (CJNG) Cartels continue to pose and our relentless determination to go after anyone that brings this poison to our cherished communities.”

Most of the fentanyl trafficked by the Sinaloa and CJNG Cartels is being mass-produced at secret factories in Mexico with chemicals sourced largely from China. In 2021, the DEA issued a Public Safety Alert on the widespread drug trafficking of fentanyl in the form of fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills. These pills are made to look identical to real prescription medications—including OxyContin®, Percocet®, and Xanax®—but only contain filler and fentanyl and are often deadly. Fake pills are readily found on social media. No pharmaceutical pill bought on social media is safe. The only safe medications are ones prescribed directly to you by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.

Just last month, DEA alerted the public to a sharp nationwide increase in the lethality of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills. DEA laboratory testing in 2022 revealed that six out of ten fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from DEA’s announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contain a potentially deadly dose.