ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Monday morning that it broke its fentanyl seizure record in 2022 with more than 670 pounds of the opioid seized in Missouri, Kansas and southern Illinois.
According to a DEA press release, that is a 41% increase over the 396 pounds seized in the last fiscal year, and more fentanyl seized than the last two years combined.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is used for pain management in a medical setting and is 50 times more potent than heroin.
“Among the seizures was a record 20,000 fake pills seized in partnership with St. Louis County Police Department, and the first colored fake pills the DEA has seized,” according to the release. “The colored fentanyl has also been seized in powder form throughout the division.”
The latter was seized in Kansas.
Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Davis said looking at this staggering increase in seizures, there is no question that the DEA and its local, state and federal partners have stepped up their efforts to stop fentanyl from reaching our communities.
“Unfortunately, the drugs pouring into the Midwest in multiple forms is also a sign that drug trafficking organizations will go to any length to profit from the misery of our citizens,” Davis said.
Davis also said the DEA will continue to take down these criminal networks and put out the message that what they’re selling kills.
The fentanyl seizures over the last five years are as follows:
2022 - 671 pounds
2021 - 396 pounds
2020 - 180 pounds
2019 - 227 pounds
2018 - 77 pounds
Agents and task force officers also seized more than 3,000 pounds of meth and 57 pounds of heroin. Investigators also seized 503 weapons.
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