DEA Takes Action Against the Sales of Fake Fentanyl Pills on Social Media

December 21, 2021 by Alexa Hornbeck
DEA Takes Action Against the Sales of Fake Fentanyl Pills on Social Media
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Juan Mariscal with Homeland Security Investigations provides details about the largest seizure of fentanyl in CBP history. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Nogales Commercial Facility seized nearly $4.6 million in fentanyl and methamphetamine totaling close to 650 pounds on Saturday, January 26, 2019 from a Mexican national when he attempted to enter the United States through the Port of Nogales. The methamphetamine seizure represents the third largest at an Arizona port. CBP photo by Jerry Glaser.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued its first public safety alert in six years in an attempt to stop the sale of deadly, fake fentanyl pills being sold on social media and e-commerce platforms. 

“The amount of fentanyl that the DEA and our law enforcement partners have seized this year is enough to kill every single American,” said Anne Milgram, DEA administrator, during a recent press conference.

During a public safety surge, that lasted from Sept. 29, 2021 through Dec. 14, 2021, DEA officials and law enforcement partners seized over 1,500 pounds of fentanyl and over eight million fake prescription pills.

At least 76 of the cases involved drug traffickers using social media applications — including Snapchat, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube — and 32 cases have direct ties to the major Mexican drug networks that are mass-producing and distributing fentanyl, according to a DEA press release.

According to Milgram, these networks were directly linked to 39 overdose deaths and nearly 64,000 overdose deaths in the same year involved the use of synthetic opioids, predominantly fentanyl.

“People think they’re buying real Xanax pills, real Adderall pills, real oxycodone using online platforms that they trust, when in reality, they’re getting deadly fentanyl in pills that look just like the real thing,” continued Milgram.

In May, Milgram said a 15-year-old in Idaho purchased a prescription pill from Snapchat that looked like oxycodone but was actually a fatal dose of fentanyl. 

“The DEA’s investigations show that these tragic deaths are not accidents. We know that these overdose deaths are directly caused by Mexican drug cartels that are flooding the United States with deadly fentanyl,” said Milgram.

The DEA worked with state and local law enforcement partners in Idaho to trace the Snapchat sale of the fake pill that killed the 15-year-old to a drug trafficker who led a criminal network that distributed hundreds of thousands of fake pills using social media, primarily Snapchat.

According to Milgram, the Mexican drug networks get chemicals largely from China, mass produce them in Mexico, often in industrial labs, and press them into fake prescription pills to sell to U.S. consumers.

“The cartels have harnessed the perfect drug delivery tool, social media,” said Milgram. 

The DEA launched a campaign to help spread greater awareness about the sale of fake prescription pills and this holiday season Milgram is urging every parent, family member and friend to take a few minutes and share the simple message that one pill can kill. 

“When you open those apps, when you open Snapchat, when you open Facebook, when you open Instagram, when you open TikTok, when you open YouTube, the drug traffickers and criminal networks are there waiting for you,” said Milgram. 

Alexa can be reached at [email protected] 

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  • Anne Migram
  • DEA
  • Drug Enforcement Administration
  • Fentanyl
  • Social Media
  • Xanax
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