Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Mission
    • History
    • Divisions
      • Atlanta
        • Atlanta Leadership
        • Atlanta Contacts
      • Caribbean
        • Caribbean Leadership
        • Caribbean Contacts
      • Chicago
        • Chicago Leadership
        • Chicago Contacts
      • Dallas
        • Dallas Leadership
        • Dallas Contacts
      • Detroit
        • Detroit Leadership
        • Detroit Contacts
      • El Paso
        • El Paso Leadership
        • El Paso Contacts
      • Headquarters
      • Houston
        • Houston Leadership
        • Houston Contacts
      • Los Angeles
        • Los Angeles Leadership
        • Los Angeles Contacts
      • Louisville
        • Louisville Leadership
        • Louisville Contacts
      • Miami
        • Miami Leadership
        • Miami Contacts
      • New England
        • New England Leadership
        • New England Contacts
      • New Jersey
        • New Jersey Contacts
      • New Orleans
        • New Orleans Leadership
        • New Orleans Contacts
      • New York
        • New York Leadership
        • New York Contacts
      • Omaha
        • Omaha Leadership
        • Omaha Contacts
      • Philadelphia
        • Philadelphia Leadership
        • Philadelphia Contacts
      • Phoenix
        • Phoenix Leadership
        • Phoenix Contacts
      • Rocky Mountain
        • Rocky Mountain Contacts
      • San Diego
        • San Diego Leadership
        • San Diego Contacts
      • San Francisco
        • San Francisco Contacts
      • Seattle
        • Seattle Contacts
      • St. Louis
        • St. Louis Leadership
        • St. Louis Contacts
      • Washington, DC
        • Washington Leadership
        • Washington Contacts
    • DEA Museum
    • Foreign Offices
      • Africa
      • Andean
      • Caribbean
      • Europe
      • Far East
      • Middle East
      • North and Central America
      • Southern Cone
    • Operational Divisions
      • Aviation Division
      • Diversion Control Division
    • Wall of Honor
    • Contact Us
      • Submit a Tip
      • Extortion Scam
      • Public Affairs
      • Social Media Directory
  • What We Do
    • Law Enforcement
      • DEA Office of Training
        • Office of Training Programs
      • El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC)
        • Leadership
        • Mission
        • Services
        • Contacts
      • Forensic Sciences
        • Computer Forensics Program
        • Environmental Management
        • Laboratories
      • Intelligence
      • Operations
        • Administrative Law Judges
        • DEA Asset Forfeiture
        • Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program
        • HIDTA
        • OCDETF
        • State and Local Task Forces
    • Education and Prevention
      • DEA’s Family Summit
      • Operation Engage
      • Community Outreach
      • Red Ribbon
        • Kiki and the History of Red Ribbon Week
        • Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community
      • Just Think Twice
      • Campus Drug Prevention
      • Get Smart About Drugs
      • Operation Prevention
    • Drug Information
      • Drug Policy
      • Drug Scheduling
      • The Controlled Substances Act
    • News
      • Alerts
      • Press Releases
      • Most Wanted Fugitives
        • All Fugitives
      • Stories
      • Events
      • Speeches
      • Testimony
    • Campaigns
      • One Pill Can Kill
        • Partner Toolbox
        • Social Media Campaign
      • DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
  • Careers
    • Special Agent
      • Special Agent FAQs
      • Special Agent Job Announcements
    • Diversion Investigator
      • Diversion Investigator Job Announcement
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
      • Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements
      • Intelligence Research Specialists FAQs
      • Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist
    • Forensic Sciences Careers
    • Professional & Administrative Careers
    • Student & Entry Level Careers
    • How to Apply
      • Employment Requirements
      • Equal Opportunity Employer
      • How To Claim Veterans' Preference
      • Priority Consideration
      • Benefits
      • Veterans and People With Disabilities
  • Resources
    • Recovery Resources
    • Data and Statistics
      • Domestic Arrests
      • Staffing and Budget
    • FOIA
      • About FOIA
      • Contact DEA FOIA
      • Make a Request
      • What Happens After Making a Request
      • Requester Categories
      • Fees Charged
      • Fee Waiver
      • FOIA FAQ
      • FOIA Logs and Reports
      • FOIA Library
      • Additional FOIA Links
      • FOIA Exemptions
      • What Are Exclusions?
      • Privacy Act
      • Privacy Act Exemptions
      • Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • Victim Witness Assistance Program
      • Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

  • Search
  • Full Menu

Main Menu

  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Careers
  • Resources
  • Submit A Tip
  • Get Updates
  • Scam Alert
  • English
  • ES

PUBLIC SAFETY ALERT

DEA Reports Widespread Threat of Fentanyl Mixed with Xylazine - DEA Reports Widespread Threat of Fentanyl Mixed with Xylazine

Drug Enforcement Administration

Headquarters
@DEAHQ
November 02, 2018
Contact: Media Relations
Phone Number: (571) 776-2508
For Immediate Release

DEA releases 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment

WASHINGTON – DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon today announced results of the 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment, which outlines the threats posed to the United States by domestic and international drug trafficking and the abuse of illicit drugs.

“This report underscores the scope and magnitude of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States,” said Acting Administrator Dhillon. “The information in the report represents data and critical intelligence from our law enforcement partners that was gathered over the past year. This report highlights the necessity of using all the tools at our disposal to fight this epidemic, and we must remain steadfast in our mission to combat all dangerous drugs of abuse.”

Among the key 2018 NDTA findings:

  • Controlled prescription drugs remain responsible for the largest number of overdose deaths of any illicit drug class since 2001. These drugs are the second most commonly abused substance. Traffickers are now disguising other opioids as controlled prescription drugs to gain access to this market. (pages 1-10)
  • Heroin-related drug-poisoning deaths almost doubled between 2013 and 2016. This has been exacerbated by the increased adulteration of heroin with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Heroin available in U.S. markets is primarily sourced from Mexico, where opium poppy cultivation and heroin production have both increased significantly in recent years. (pages 11-20)
  • Of all opioids, the abuse of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids has led to the greatest number of deaths in the United States. Fentanyl is increasingly available in the form of counterfeit prescription pills marketed for illicit street sales, and also sold by traffickers on its own, without the presence of other drugs. (pages 21-37)
  • Mexican transnational criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, remain the greatest criminal drug threat in the United States. The cartels are the principal wholesale drug sources for domestic gangs responsible for street-level distribution. (pages 97-99)
     
  • National and neighborhood-based street gangs and prison gangs continue to dominate the market for the street sales and distribution of illicit drugs in their respective territories throughout the country. Drug trafficking remains the major income source for gangs. (pages 107-121)

Illicit drugs, as well as the transnational and domestic criminal organizations that traffic them, continue to represent significant threats to public health, law enforcement, and national security in the United States. In 2016, approximately 174 people died every day from drug poisoning, outnumbering deaths by firearms, motor vehicle crashes, suicide and homicide. The opioid threat – including controlled prescription drugs, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, and heroin – has had a devastating effect on our country.

In 2017, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl were involved in nearly 30,000 deaths, and from 2016-2017, Mexican heroin production grew by 37 percent. Mexican cartels continue to make large quantities of cheap methamphetamine and deliver it to the United States through the Southern border. Seizures at the border increased from 8,900 pounds in 2010 to nearly 82,000 pounds thus far in 2018.

New enforcement priorities and programs implemented by the Justice Department and DEA will positively impact our communities and ultimately save American lives. The Department of Justice has aggressively targeted the opioid crisis through robust manpower and funding, enabling federal law enforcement agencies like the DEA to conduct enforcement operations that target anyone violating the Controlled Substance Act.

In the past year, the Justice Department and DEA have engaged in new projects and initiatives to combat this scourge. DOJ and DEA established Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a new program seeking to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high-impact areas and identify wholesale distribution networks and suppliers, both domestic and international; added additional heroin enforcement task forces; brought the indictments of two Chinese fentanyl traffickers, Jian Zhang and Xiaobing Yan; extradited  Mexican drug traffickers; reduced the aggregate production quota; emergency scheduled all forms of illicit fentanyl; assigned special federal prosecutors to prosecute opioid-related investigations; authorized the hiring of more than 400 additional task force officers; and continue to work with the Chinese Government resulting in further controls being placed on fentanyl analogs, and related substances.

This month, the Justice Department announced new measures to dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The creation of a Transnational Organized Crime Task Force of prosecutors will coordinate the DOJ’s efforts to fight transnational organized crime. The task force will focus on top transnational organized crime threats that include MS-13, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, the Sinaloa Cartel, Clan del Golfo and Lebanese Hezbollah, a majority of which are included in DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment.

The National Drug Threat Assessment provides a yearly assessment of the many challenges local communities face related to drug abuse and drug trafficking. Highlights in the report include usage and trafficking trends for drugs such as prescription drugs, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and the hundreds of synthetic drugs.

The assessment factors in information from many data sources such as drug seizures, drug purity, laboratory analyses, information on the involvement of organized criminal groups and data provided to DEA by state and local law enforcement agencies across the country.

The National Drug Threat Assessment can be accessed here.

# # #

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Locator

  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Domestic Divisions
    • Foreign Offices
    • Contact Us
    • DEA Museum
  • What We Do
    • Drug Prevention
    • Law Enforcement
    • Diversion Control Division
    • News
  • Careers
    • Overview
    • Special Agent
    • Diversion Investigator
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
  • Resources
    • Drug Information
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • Equal Opportunity Employer
    • FOIA
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • VWAP
  • Doing Business
    with the DEA
    • Overview
    • Current Vendors
    • Prospective Vendors
    • Security Clauses
    • Security Forms
    • Small Business Program
  • Policies
    • Accessibility, Plug-ins & Policy
    • Legal Policies & Disclaimers
    • No FEAR Act
    • Privacy Policy
    • U.S. Department of Justice EEO Policy
    • USA.gov
    • Whistleblower Protection
Home

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DEA.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

DEA Contact Center

(202) 307-1000 info@dea.gov
Contact the Webmaster