DEA and CCSO recognize dangers and victims of FENTANYL on May 9, National Fentanyl Awareness Day
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The DEA is proud to join “Song for Charlie” and many of our valued law enforcement, public health, and non-profit partners in recognizing National Fentanyl Awareness Day on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. This day represents an important opportunity to remember the victims of fentanyl poisoning and educate people in our communities about the deadly threat that fentanyl poses to the national security, health, and safety of the American people.
One year ago, on the first National Fentanyl Awareness Day, DEA opened the Faces of Fentanyl exhibit at DEA Headquarters - a wall in DEA’s West Building that displays the photos of those who lost their lives to fentanyl poisoning. The memorial started with 100 photos; over the past year, Americans from across the country have sent DEA more than 5,000 photos. It reflects the reality that fentanyl is killing Americans from all walks of life, in every state and community in this country. The youngest person on the wall is Forever 17-months old. The oldest is Forever 70 years old. The Faces of Fentanyl exhibit has become a safe and compassionate space for grieving families impacted by fentanyl to visit when in the Washington, D.C., area. It's located at 700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, Va., 22202. There is metered street parking around the building and a parking garage at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, across the street.
“Fentanyl is the greatest threat to Americans today. It kills more Americans between the ages of 18 to 45 than terrorism, than car accidents, than cancer; than COVID. It kills nearly 200 Americans every day. And the number of children under 14 dying from fentanyl poisoning has increased at an alarming rate,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The two drug cartels responsible for bringing fentanyl into the United States - the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels - are intentionally driving addiction by selling fake pills and hiding fentanyl in other drugs, and they are reaching our kids through using social media platforms. I encourage you to use this day to talk to your families about the dangers of fentanyl and have an important conversation with your kids about who they are communicating with on social media.”
DEA urges the public to be vigilant about fentanyl and the deadly threat it poses:
• Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams—the equivalent of a few grains of salt—can kill a person.
• Fentanyl comes in two forms: pills and powder. The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are hiding fentanyl in fake pills that look like oxycodone, Xanax, and Percocet. The cartels are also mixing fentanyl powder in with cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. This is why many of the people poisoned by fentanyl had no idea they were even taking it.
• The cartels and their members and associates are using social media applications—including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat—and encrypted platforms—including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Wire, and Wickr—to sell pills and powders that are advertised as something else but actually have fentanyl inside.
• DEA has identified the two drug cartels responsible for the influx of fentanyl into this country—the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels—and its top operational priority is to defeat these cartels. In April 2023, DEA and our federal partners announced the indictment of 28 members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel operating in Mexico, China, and Central America, including the leaders of the cartel known as the “Chapitos.” In May 2023, DEA and our law enforcement partners announced the results of a year-long national operation, “Operation Last Mile,” which included the arrests of 3,337 operatives, associates, and distributors affiliated with the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels responsible for the last mile of fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution on our streets and on social media.
To get more facts about fentanyl, visit the One Pill Can Kill website at www.dea.gov/onepill.
If you would like to submit a photo of a loved one to be included in the Faces of Fentanyl exhibit, please submit a photo with their name and age to FentanylAwareness@dea.gov. Help spread awareness about the dangers of fentanyl by posting a photo on social media using the hashtags #NationalFentanylAwarenessDay and #JustKnow.
Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) PRESS RELEASE
Inverness (Citrus County), Florida - According to Madeline Scarborough, Community Relations Specialist with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, "The quantity of fentanyl seized off the streets of Citrus County by our agency alone over the past couple of years was enough to kill over 786,825 people, which is nearly five times the size of our population. Moreover, during the last couple of months of the calendar year 2022, Florida law enforcement officers seized enough fentanyl to kill the state's entire population of more than 22 million citizens. This unlawfully manufactured synthetic opioid comes in many forms, from liquid to powder and, most recently, multicolored pills manufactured specifically to target young Americans."
"While we are not seeing an abundance of juvenile overdose deaths in our community," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast, "The DEA has reported seeing an alarming increase of deaths in children under 14. Please use this day to talk to your families about the dangers of fentanyl and other illegal substances. I hope all of you have read my columns where I explain why I continue to support the classification of fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. The potency of this drug alone, not to mention in the hands of one malicious and ill-intended person, is reason enough to justify the fear of this drug and its potential for weaponization."
By classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, the Department of Homeland Security and the DEA would be required to coordinate a response with other agencies, including the Department of Defense. This would, in turn, bring about new discussions and present new options for - fighting the opioid epidemic in our nation, disrupting the drug trafficking trade, and paving the way for harsher punishments for those found in possession of fentanyl.
Like many of you, our agency is ready for better combative measurements - such as higher bonds and time served for those caught dealing and in possession of fentanyl.
CCSO has encountered a multitude of remarkable cases involving the distribution of fentanyl. Just this year in Homosassa, on January 19th, we arrested a long-time dealer, 40-year-old Matthew Mullins, after he was found to be in possession of 51 grams of fentanyl during a traffic stop - that is enough to kill 25,000 people.
Mullins is not the only dealer we have been able to get off the streets. Thanks to House Bill 95, signed into law last year, we were able to arrest John Dylan Gromling in October for first-degree felony murder as a result of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance (fentanyl), which resulted in the overdose death of 53-year-old Bruce William Payne of Inverness.
Drug use of any kind comes with dangers, but did you know that any illegal drug could be laced with fentanyl? Fentanyl powder is getting mixed in with other substances such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin - and there are fake pills in circulation that contain fentanyl but resemble Xanax and oxycodone. This is a common practice for dealers trying to market their products as "purer" or as providing a better high to attract more buyers.
Our office is here to protect and serve this community - not only by getting these drugs off our streets - but by educating the public, helping addicts get connected with resources, and of course, by saving lives. In response to the growing threat fentanyl poses to the people of Citrus County, CCSO began the process of equipping each deputy with double the standard issue of Naloxone (Narcan) as of last year. In addition, we have placed naloxone in all of our buildings, and we have conducted training for all of our employees - no matter their agency position - in recognizing the signs of, and taking action against, an opioid overdose.
We can already see the difference carrying Narcan has made in our community. In 2021 Citrus County suffered 81 losses due to an overdose - 55 of those were fentanyl-related. Since better arming our agency with Narcan, that number dropped to 37 fentanyl-related deaths for 2022.
If you or a loved one is suffering from substance abuse disorder, please reach out to our Behavioral Health Department at 352-249-2790 and ask to speak with one of our Substance Abuse Advocates.
About the Citrus County Sheriff's Office's Substance Abuse Advocates: Our substance abuse advocates are a key component in our agency, assisting those who are struggling with addiction. These civilian employees work in our Behavioral Health Unit, and their outreach efforts aim to connect those individuals to the programs and assistance they may need. Substance abuse advocates help those who are struggling every step of the way - from coordinating treatment goals, to collaborating with counselors or physicians, and even accompanying those individuals to appointments when necessary. We are looking to save a life, not make an arrest.