SALT LAKE CITY – In less than two weeks in June, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized 170,000 fentanyl pills in Utah. That’s a quarter of the fentanyl pill seizures in Utah in all of 2023, which was a record-breaking more than 664,000 fentanyl pills.
“The number of fentanyl pills seized just last month proves the drug cartels primarily operating in Mexico are not slowing down production and distribution of this deadly poison,” DEA RMFD Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said in a statement.
DEA lab tests have revealed that seven out of ten fentanyl pills contain a potentially deadly dose. Pullen emphasized the importance of discussing the dangers of fentanyl with family, friends, and the community.
“The recent seizures totaling 170,000 fentanyl pills in Utah means more than likely, lives have been saved – from St. George to Logan, Moab to Wendover – and across the state,” DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Salt Lake City District Office Dustin Gillespie said in a statement.
The DEA is not releasing specific details about each case because the investigations into the seized shipments are ongoing.