Drug Enforcement Administration Brings Together Families Who Lost Loved Ones to Fentanyl
DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell speaks to family members at the 2024 Family Summit.
JOHNSTON, Iowa – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division hosted its third annual Family Summit at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, June 27, bringing together families from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota representing 41 loved ones lost to a fentanyl poisoning.
“This is a somber day,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “But, the day also provides a tremendous opportunity for families who share a similar story of loss to meet one another and have conversations about how we can collaborate and improve drug education efforts within our communities.”
A recorded message from DEA Administrator Anne Milgram opened the full-day event, followed by presentations from the DEA, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, representatives of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. Family members shared their stories of loss and a Drug Education Coordinator from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota spoke about her work on the Reservation.
“It’s an honor for us to host these families,” SAC Bell said. “They all have stories to share and each story is unique in its own right. That said, the reason they’re all in this room is because they lost a loved one to fentanyl. The fact that these families are looking for ways to ensure the loss they suffered doesn’t happen to anyone else is profound. If we can help bring light to their message, we stand ready to assist.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 110,000 people died by drug poisoning in the United States in 2023 with fentanyl accounting for nearly 70 percent of these deaths. DEA laboratory testing indicates that 7 out of every 10 pills seized by DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, an increase from 4 out of 10 pills noted in 2021. To date, DEA has seized more than 179 million lethal doses of fentanyl, both in pill and powder form, nationwide in 2024. The five state DEA Omaha Division accounts for just less than one million lethal doses of fentanyl seized this year.
To learn more about the dangers of fentanyl, visit dea.gov/OnePill.
