United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DENVER – Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. In calendar year 2023, DEA seized nationally more than 77 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. This is the most fentanyl seized by DEA in a single year and amounts to more than 386 million deadly doses of fentanyl prevented from reaching consumers – enough to kill every American.

Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. The fentanyl pills we see today are deadlier than ever: DEA laboratory testing in 2023 revealed seven out of 10 pills tested contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from four in 10 pills in 2021 and six in 10 pills in 2022. A potentially deadly dose is considered just two milligrams of fentanyl, which is approximately the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil.

The Rocky Mountain region has not been immune from the devasting effects of fentanyl. More fentanyl pills were seized within the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division (RMFD) in calendar year 2023 than in any other previous year. The following are the RMFD statistics for fentanyl seizures by state made during calendar year 2023:

Colorado: 425.60 kilograms of fentanyl seized, or approximately 2.61 million pills.

Utah: 119.30 kilograms of fentanyl seized, or approximately 664,200 pills.

Montana: 17.87 kilograms of fentanyl seized, or approximately 106,500 pills.

Wyoming: 4.58 kilograms of fentanyl seized, or approximately 23,700 pills.

Division Totals: 567.34 kilograms of fentanyl seized, or approximately 3.4 million pills.

By comparison, the RMFD seized 565,200 fentanyl pills in 2021 and 1.9 million fentanyl pills in 2022.

“Fentanyl continues to be the deadliest drug threat facing our nation. The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners, prevented more than 3.4 million fentanyl pills from reaching our communities in calendar year 2023,” said David Olesky, Acting Special Agent in Charge for DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division. “While the significant increase in fentanyl seizures across the region demonstrates the outstanding work our agents and partners in law enforcement are doing, the numbers also reveal the extent to which the cartels continue to flood our nation with this poison. As we begin the new year, DEA is committed to staying laser-focused on investigating the two cartels most responsible for trafficking fentanyl into the United States, as well as bringing greater public awareness to the dangers of fentanyl.”

DEA has responded to this unprecedented threat with unprecedented action. DEA’s mission is to save American lives by defeating the two cartels most responsible for the vast majority of fentanyl that is flooding our country: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel. With more than 48 active investigations associated with these two cartels, they and their networks have a presence in each of the four states in the DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division.

The RMFD is responsible for 450,000 square miles of territory with 13 offices across the states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. With approximately 200 employees, including Special Agents, Intel Analysts, Diversion Investigators, and support staff, the DEA relies heavily upon its partnerships with state, local, and federal authorities to advance its mission. The RMFD has approximately 140 Task Force Officers who work collaboratively with DEA personnel.

In 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) marked its 50th Anniversary as the only federal agency dedicated to fighting deadly drugs and drug-related violence. This milestone celebrated a half-century of dedication to fighting drug trafficking in the United States and around the world, which threatens the public safety, health, and national security of our nation. DEA also ushered in a transformation of DEA’s organization and strategy to meet this extraordinary moment in time as the United States confronts the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced – fentanyl.

For additional information and resources, visit dea.gov/onepill

###