The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said transnational criminal organizations, specifically the CJNG cartel, are mixing fentanyl into illicit narcotics, resulting in a significant increase in overdoses.
"For our community, this is a significant threat and something we should take very seriously,” said Frank A. Tarentino, special agent in charge of the DEA Seattle Field division. He said there was a 92% increase in fentanyl seizures last year, and trends are going up.
"When you see thousands of pills seized, that’s not uncommon, and we’re seizing that on a daily basis in Seattle,” said Tarentino. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, used for severe pain, and is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
When illegally-made fentanyl is mixed with heroin or cocaine, it is impossible to tell.