United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MIAMI—Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division personnel recently hosted an Operation Engage South Florida meeting with community stakeholders at First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to stress the dangers of fentanyl—especially regarding children.

Operation Engage South Florida is an opportunity to keep fentanyl prevention, awareness, and education fresh in people’s minds. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 110,000 Americans died due to a drug overdose or poisoning in 2023. Nearly 70 percent of those deaths were due to a synthetic opioid like fentanyl. Similar in effect to heroin but 50 times stronger, a couple grains of fentanyl powder—two milligrams or enough to fit on the end of a pencil—can be deadly.

Typically, fentanyl is used to treat patients with chronic pain. However, illicitly manufactured fentanyl pills with zero quality control pour into the United States by way of Mexico on a regular basis.

“These pills look identical to ones provided by a pharmacy,” said DEA Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Skeffington. “And drug trafficking organizations are using brightly colored pills in an attempt to target young Americans.”

According to Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shahnaz Varghese, in 2021 four out of ten fake pills contained a deadly dose of fentanyl. Today that number has nearly doubled as seven out of ten fake pills potentially contain a deadly dose. In addition, illicitly manufactured fentanyl now may contain xylazine, a non-opioid tranquilizer used by veterinarians to treat animals. In 2023 the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy designated fentanyl mixed with xylazine as an emerging threat with users at a higher risk of suffering a fatal drug poisoning.

“It’s cheaper and makes the effect of fentanyl last longer,” said DEA Supervisory Intelligence Research Specialist Luis Albino. “When drug trafficking organizations use xylazine, it reduces the amount of fentanyl required to make the fake pills.”

Anything cartels can do to maximize profits, such as adding less expensive but more dangerous chemicals, is what they will do. Reaching into the community is paramount to stopping this drug crisis.  

“Partnerships are key,” said Skeffington. “We can’t reach into schools, communities, and churches as effectively without the partners in this room.”

Organizations represented at the Operation Engage South Florida meeting included South Florida Opioid Alliance; CDC; Broward County Public Schools Prevention; Broward County Department of Fire Rescue; United Way; Boys & Girls Club of Broward County; Robin Foundation; and Broward County Sheriff’s Office, among others.

Broward County Public Schools Prevention staff host town halls to alert community members and try to get kids talking about these dangers with one another through peer counseling.    

“We want to encourage family members to have difficult conversations with their loved ones about these dangers,” said Skeffington. “It’s worth it if we can help save one person.”  

DEA seized 79.5 million fake pills and 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in 2023, the equivalent of 376 million lethal doses. Thus far in 2024, DEA has seized the equivalent of 93 million deadly doses. Please visit www.dea.gov/onepill for more information and resources.