United States Drug Enforcement Administration

LOS ANGELES – An operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division in October uncovered 628,000 pills containing carfentanil. According to the DEA, carfentanil is a synthetic opioid approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl. The majority of the pills were seized from one stash location in Los Angeles County. The operation also resulted in the arrest of one suspected drug trafficker.

Brian Clark, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, said, “This is a massive seizure, 628,000 carfentanil pills taken from a single drug trafficker. Our agents, with vital backing from local partners, mitigated a catastrophic danger. The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated, another stark reminder to those vulnerable to drug misuse. Know what you’re taking, because one pill can kill.”

According to the DEA, carfentanil was originally developed for veterinary use, more specifically to tranquilize large animals such as elephants. The white powdery drug closely resembles other substances like fentanyl or cocaine and can come in several forms. The DEA warns that carfentanil and other fentanyl analogues present a serious risk to public safety, first responder, medical, treatment, and laboratory personnel.

This operation was led by DEA L.A. Field Division Southwest Border Group 1 special agents and task force officers, with key support from the Vernon Police Department, the Baldwin Park Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Testing of the seized pills was performed by the DEA Southwest Regional Laboratory.

According to DEA L.A. Field Division, local law enforcement and first responders have recently seen an increased presence of carfentanil in the illicit drug market, which has been linked to a number of overdose deaths in various parts of the country. According to the CDC, deaths involving carfentanil increased approximately sevenfold – from 29 deaths from January to June 2023, to 238 deaths from January to June 2024. Carfentanil has now been detected in 37 states.

The L.A. Field Division stands as one of the DEA’s most complex and high-impact divisions, covering Southern California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the U.S. Territories of Guam and Saipan.

For additional safety information, please see the resource below:

https://www.dea.gov/stories/2025/2025-05/2025-05-14/carfentanil-synthetic-opioid-unlike-any-other

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