DEA RMFD Operation Fentanyl Free America Surge Results
Pills, Powder, Cash Seized; 60+ Arrests; Nearly One-Million Fatal Doses
CENTENNIAL, CO – The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division (RMFD) surged into 2026 with Phase II of Operation Fentanyl Free America – part of a nationwide effort that dealt a significant blow to drug trafficking networks.
Between January 12 and February 10, 2026, the RMFD in CO, UT, WY & MT:
• seized nearly 17 kg of fentanyl powder
• seized 193,417 fentanyl pills
• took 920,000 fatal doses off streets
• made 62 arrests
• seized 57 guns
• seized $5.53 million in U.S. currency
“Fentanyl continues to be the number one drug threat the United States has ever faced,” said DEA RMFD Special Agent in Charge David Olesky. “Fentanyl is killing people each and every day across our Division’s four states – Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. This latest surge took deadly poison out of our communities – to the tune of more than 900,000 deadly doses. We’re not through – this is only the continuation of what the men and women of DEA are doing every single day.”
Nationwide, Operation Fentanyl Free America seized more than 4.7 million fentanyl pills and nearly 2,396 pounds of fentanyl powder – more than 57 million fatal doses in just a thirty-day span.
Eliminating the threat of fentanyl remains a top priority for DEA. By dismantling these complex transnational criminal organizations and disrupting the intricate illicit financial systems that fund the cartels, DEA is upholding its commitment to the American people to make their communities safer.
“The drug poisoning epidemic has been cultivated by designated terrorist cartels who operate like multi-billion-dollar corporations and have weaponized fentanyl with the clear objective to increase America’s dependence on illicit drugs,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “It will take a targeted, collaborative response to preserve our future. Drug seizures in the United States strike directly at cartel profits, while efforts to disrupt supply chains and dismantle money laundering networks deliver consequences far beyond our borders. Meanwhile, we must reach into our communities nationwide and share the simple truth: One Pill Can Kill. Enforcement saves lives. Education prevents the next tragedy. Together, we can end this crisis."
Phase I of Operation Fentanyl Free America took place last October.
