WASHINGTON — The kinds of drugs seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration shifted in 2025. New DEA data shows seizures of counterfeit fentanyl pills declined over the past year, while fentanyl in powder form and methamphetamine both rose.
In South Dakota, the trend followed a similar pattern. The DEA reported increases in meth, cocaine and fentanyl powder seizures, while counterfeit fentanyl pill seizures dropped 41%. Officials say cartels are increasingly favoring fentanyl powder because it is cheaper to produce and distribute.
Nationwide, authorities seized 9,938 pounds of fentanyl powder in 2025, up from 7,800 pounds in 2024. During that same period, the number of fentanyl pills seized fell from 55 million to 47 million. Even so, the DEA said the drugs taken off the streets last year amounted to what it calls 369 million potential lives saved.
Last year, former acting DEA Administrator Robert Murphy told ABC News that the surge in meth “frightens” him, raising particular concern about meth-laced pills marketed as medications such as Adderall to college-age adults.
Murphy said one of the most disturbing things about methamphetamine is that “Mexican cartels control 100% of it.” In that July interview, Murphy said the DEA had seized about 70,000 pounds of meth in just half a year, nearly matching the total seized in all of 2024. By the end of 2025, that figure had climbed to 172,853 pounds.
During 2025, the DEA also reported seizing 2,700 pounds of heroin and 567,668 pounds of cocaine.
