United States Drug Enforcement Administration

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to using every tool at its disposal to help fight the drug poisoning and overdose crisis facing America today.

In February 2024, DEA issued a letter to e-commerce companies reminding them of their responsibility as regulated entities to comply with the recordkeeping, identification, and reporting requirements of the Controlled Substances Act as it relates to the distribution, importation, and exportation of pill press equipment.

Today, we are highlighting eight cases, which resulted in significant seizures of pill presses and the dismantling of clandestine labs operating within the United States, all of which contributed to today’s fentanyl crisis. 

 

New York Field Division

In the Bronx on April 6, 2024, as part of an ongoing investigation involving a network of drug traffickers operating large-scale illegal pill pressing operations throughout New York City, the New York Field Division along with the HSI El Dorado Task Force, seized two industrial-scale pill presses, approximately 130,000 pills, approximately three kilograms of a powder containing fentanyl, approximately 20 pounds of powdered narcotics containing methamphetamine, and approximately 3.5 pounds of suspected crystalized methamphetamine.  Two suspects were also arrested.

 

Louisville Field Division

On January 31, 2024, DEA agents from the Louisville Field Division executed two search warrants and a probable cause arrest resulting in the seizure of an electronic TDP 5 pill press with M-30 punch die molds, a large quantity of counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl, approximately one kilogram containing a mixture of fentanyl, multiple prescription substances, small amounts of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, five firearms, and approximately $14,000 U.S. currency. This TDP 5 pill press was ordered from VitaminShack. One arrest was made in connection to this case.

Louisville, KY, seizure of a pill press, prescription medications, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and cash.

 

New Orleans Field Division

On January 18, 2024, DEA along with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in Mississippi arrested two individuals and seized over 80,000 fake fentanyl pills, designed to look like Xanax, oxycodone, and MDMA.  They also seized significant quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, two pill presses, 13 firearms, a suppressor, and body armor. The excipients were ordered from Amazon, and the punches and dies were ordered from e-commerce websites with direct delivery from China. The pill press transactions had not been reported to DEA.

New Orleans Field Division seizure of two pill presses and significant amounts of illicit drugs and weapons.

 

Philadelphia Field Division

In October 2023, the DEA Pittsburgh District Office recovered 2 kilograms of fake oxycodone containing suspected fentanyl, Xanax, two industrial pill presses, one loaded AR-15 rifle, and one loaded AR-pistol from the apartment of a large-scale fentanyl pill trafficker. The pill press transactions had not been reported to DEA.

Fentanyl pills seized by DEA Pittsburgh.	Industrial pill press seized by DEA Pittsburgh District Office.	Industrial pill presses seized by DEA Pittsburgh District Office.

 

Louisville Field Division

On August 29, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a St. Albans apartment, officers found various quantities of pills that looked like legitimate 30-milligram oxycodone pills. The DEA Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed that some of the seized pills contained fentanyl and others contained protonitazene or butonitazene, a federal Schedule I controlled substance with opioid effects. Officers also found various quantities of powders containing these substances, hydraulic pill press equipment, various punch and die kits used to imprint pills with “M30” markings, a pharmacy-grade powder mixing machine, various binding powders, two loaded pistols and a large quantity of cash. The pill press was ordered from Guangzhou Sunton Biotechnology Co., Ltd., a Chinese company. The pill press transaction had not been reported to DEA.

Louisville Field Division dismantle a dangerous clandestine lab in a St. Albans apartment complex.	Louisville Field Division dismantle a dangerous clandestine lab in a St. Albans apartment complex.	Punch and die sets for pill press.

 

Detroit Field Division

On August 23, 2022, DEA Detroit, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Postal Inspection Service, arrested two individuals and seized approximately $350,000 in cash, nearly $1,045,000 in cryptocurrency, 3 firearms, approximately 45 kilograms of fake alprazolam tablets, 45 kilograms of bulk mixed powder ready to press, 56 grams of MDMA, 200 grams of psilocybin, 600 grams of cocaine suspected to be laced with fentanyl, and 11 pounds of marijuana.  Agents also seized pill-making materials to include one rotary pill press with a production capacity of approximately 20,000 tablets per hour, one industrial mixer, and 30 fake trademarked dies. The rotary pill press and certain dies were ordered from Xingle Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd., a Chinese company, and other dies were ordered from TDPMolds.com. The pill press transaction had not been reported to DEA.

A major bust by DEA Detroit resulted in the seizure of more than 300,000 fake Alprazolam.	Pill-making materials, a rotary pill press, one industrial mixer, and 30 fake trademarked dies.

 

New Orleans Field Division

On December 8, 2021, DEA and its partners executed multiple search warrants in Mississippi resulting in the seizure of approximately 8,758 gross grams of fentanyl pressed pills, 10 kilograms of binding agent, two TDP-5 tabletop pill presses (one of which contained a A3333 die affixed to the machine, which is used to produce counterfeit oxycodone), and a .45 caliber 1911 model handgun. Agents all seized $100,000, six firearms, and multiple automobiles and made one arrest. These pill presses were ordered through a domestic broker and supplied by Yoli Machines, a Chinese company.

 

New England Field Division

On August 24, 2021, DEA and CBP seized 36 manual and electric tabletop presses at the Port of Long Beach that were imported from China and destined for Connecticut. These presses were ordered from Yoli Machines, a Chinese company.

 

For more information on tableting and encapsulating machines, visit Pill Press Resources (dea.gov).  For more information on fentanyl and fake pills, visit One Pill Can Kill | DEA.gov. 

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