United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MINNEAPOLIS –The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division is encouraging families to make conversations about the potentially lethal consequences of drug experimentation and the threat posed by drug dealers on social media part of a routine check-in that takes place several times a year.    

In the first seven months of 2025, DEA agents in Minnesota removed nearly three million deadly doses of fentanyl from across the state. Methamphetamine seizures made by DEA have doubled over the same seven-month period in 2024 and cocaine seizures stand at over 100 pounds on the year. 

Social media plays a significant role in the life of students and cartels are taking advantage of this audience. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to emphasize the dangers associated with buying pills online. Nationwide, DEA has seized fentanyl pills made to resemble common prescription medications such as Xanax ®, Adderall ® and Oxycodone ®. Never trust your eyes to determine if a pill is legitimate or counterfeit. The only safe medications are prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. 

“Families should be engaging in conversations about counterfeit pills, fentanyl and social media threats more than just once a year,” DEA Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “Let your youngsters know that they can talk with you about what they’re seeing at school or what they’ve been asked to try. We must continue these conversations throughout the year to remind our loved ones of the deadly threat these substances pose.”

For families unsure how to begin a conversation on the dangers of drug use, the DEA has resources and fact sheets available online: https://www.dea.gov/onepill/partner-toolbox. Conversation starters, information on drugs including street names and side effects, and helpful tips on ways to stay engaged in these important conversations year-round, are available based on age and grade.

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