HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — DEA agents are seeing an increase in the number of fentanyl-laced pills seized by their organization in Virginia. They say they’re going after the cartels manufacturing these pills, and they need your help spreading the word to other potential victims.
“In 2023, the DEA, the Washington Division, we saw a 260% increase in the amount of fentanyl pills in Virginia,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget. “That’s 415,300 fake pills.”
Fake pills made to look like medication—Oxycontin, Percocet and Xanax. Forget said they’re being sold on the internet to people wanting a quick hit, or those who can’t get pain medication from their doctors. But it just takes one pill to end a life.
“And we know at DEA that seven out of every 10 pills that we seize at DEA contain a deadly amount of fentanyl,” Forget said.
It’s the deadliest drug threat facing the nation right now — and it’ll only cost you between $5 and $30.
“These pills are being made, predominantly by two cartels, the Sinaloa and the Jalisco cartels,” Forget said. “And those cartels are obviously in Mexico getting the chemicals, precursor chemicals from China. But those two cartels are in Virginia.”
The threat — right here in our backyard. And it’s not something hidden on the dark web. It’s easily accessible to anyone, especially your children.
“We do know the Hampton Roads area, in the past, has been one of the areas in Virginia where we see the highest number of fentanyl seizures and fake pill seizures,” Forget said.
They’re conducting worldwide investigations, going after the cartels in Mexico and the chemicals coming out of China, Forget said, and looking at the number of pills seized, they’re making good headway — preventing more than 6.1 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl from reaching their victims.
“There is no ability to track how much fentanyl is in one pill to the next, it varies quite a bit,” Forget said. “It only takes two milligrams to kill somebody.”
Highly addictive, 50% more deadly than heroin and it promises a high profit margin for dealers. That’s why victims are constantly being sought out.
“They’ve created more substance use disorder in our society, and now they have a repeat customer,” Forget said. “The customer may die at some point. That’s OK by them. They’ll get more customers.”
His warning for parents — make sure you know who your children are talking to online, and talk with them about not taking pills given to them by their friends or other students at school.
