DEA reports major fentanyl seizures in October operation
CHEYENNE — A nationwide operation this fall resulted in the removal of an estimated 347 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl from American communities, including in Wyoming, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Initiated in October, Operation Fentanyl Free America is a “comprehensive enforcement initiative and public awareness campaign aimed at reducing both the supply and demand for fentanyl,” according to a news release sent out Wednesday by DEA.
The targeted operation was meant to lessen the impact of fentanyl use nationally, which claimed nearly 50,000 lives last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Dec. 1, DEA has reportedly seized more than 45 million fentanyl pills and more than 9,320 pounds of fentanyl powder, removing an estimated 347 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl from American communities.
The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division — comprised of Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming — was one of 23 domestic field divisions and seven foreign divisions to initiate the operation.
“Despite nationwide efforts to bring deaths down, and this recent targeted enforcement, fentanyl remains the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 to 45,” DEA RMFD Special Agent in Charge David Olesky said in the news release.
The operation was not exclusively to use hard investigative work to seize fentanyl products and make arrests, but also to send the message to the nation that we are far from out of the fentanyl crisis, DEA RMFD Public Affairs Officer Steffan Tubbs said.
“You’re not just going to arrest your way out of this,” Tubbs said. “It’s going to take the substance abuse programs, it’s going to take the community. It’s going to take parents, it’s going to take teachers and educators. And, quite frankly, it’s going to take people talking because we’re still losing the equivalent of a full Coors Field every single year just to fentanyl deaths.”
Local results
In 2024, the death of 21 Wyomingites was linked to fentanyl, and 48 deaths were linked to methamphetamine, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
In Wyoming, the DEA operation resulted in nine arrests and the seizure of approximately 4,313 fentanyl pills, two weapons, $3,362, 0.93 kg of methamphetamine and no fentanyl powder.
Though those numbers are small compared to more largely populated states like Colorado — where the operation resulted in 33 arrests and the seizure of approximately 665,417 fentanyl pills, 2.41 kg of fentanyl powder, 90.79 kg of methamphetamine, 4.12 kg of cocaine, 5.91 kg of heroin, $460,961 and 26 weapons — fentanyl is still very much relevant.
Rural communities can still be deeply impacted by fentanyl use and can host major transportation routes used by cartels.
Cartels like the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels frequent major transportation corridors like Interstates 25 and 80 in Wyoming.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re in a smaller-population state like Wyoming or a bigger-population state like Colorado; the Mexican drug cartels, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, are operating,” Tubbs said.
The DEA’s targeted monthlong enforcement effort resulted in the seizure of more than 1 million fentanyl pills across the RMFD, ranking third in all DEA divisions nationwide. This resulted in fewer drugs, fewer criminals and fewer weapons in communities across the four-state region, according to Olesky.
While statistics detailing the involvement of local agencies were not included in the release, Tubbs stated that local partnerships are essential for operations like this in rural states.
Task force officers, who are typically certified in a dual capacity with varying federal agencies, can provide local intel and assistance that may otherwise be difficult for federal agencies to track.
“In a state like Wyoming, our task force officer relationships are vital,” Tubbs said. “I’d be very surprised if (the operation in October) didn’t involve excellent teamwork. And I know DEA is very proud of the relationship with our partners in Wyoming.”
Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation officials confirmed Wednesday that they sent October fentanyl statistics to the DEA.
Increased pressures
The DEA reports applying “unprecedented” pressure on the global fentanyl supply chain, aiming to get suppliers to “change their business practices.”
“DEA is striking harder and evolving faster to dismantle the foreign terrorists fueling this crisis, while empowering all our partners to join the fight to prevent fentanyl-related tragedies,” DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said. “Together, we can achieve a fentanyl free America and create a safer future for generations to come.”
Also on Wednesday, the DEA released a news release stating that its intelligence indicates a shift in cartel operations. Trafficking of fentanyl powder and domestic production of fentanyl pills have increased. The trend is illustrated by the seizure of more than two dozen pill press machines in October.
Operation Fentanyl Free America has also made the threat of poly-drug organizations more apparent. These are cartels that traffic a portfolio of drugs, as opposed to a single substance.
The diversification of cartel operations is an attempt to minimize risks and maximize profits, according to the DEA.
DEA laboratory testing shows significant decreases in fentanyl potency and purity, correlated with a decline in synthetic opioid deaths to levels not seen since April 2020.
Fentanyl pills tested that contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl dropped significantly from 76% in fiscal year (FY) 2023 to 29% in FY 2025. Additionally, fentanyl powder purity decreased from 19.5% to 10.3% during the same time period, according to the DEA.
That decrease can be attributed to a combination of things: outreach efforts, increased enforcement, education and Narcan usage among them. International actions have also contributed, Tubbs said.
Even with the decrease to 29%, the risk is still prevalent.
“I don’t know if you can find me many people that would take a 10-chamber pistol and load three bullets in it and say, ‘All right, I’m going to take my chances,’” Tubbs said. “It’s still Russian roulette.”
Education
A second arm of this operation — and the DEA’s mission as a whole — is to educate the public about fentanyl and the risks associated with the drug.
The DEA urged members of the media to include information about the dangers of fentanyl and directed the public to use new resources at dea. gov/fentanylfree.
“It’s time now for people to start talking about fentanyl,” Tubbs said.
For parents, that could look like age-appropriate conversations about taking pills, discussing how not all pills are safe and some can be fatal, Tubbs said. Those conversations should extend to young adults, discussing the risks of taking any pills that aren’t prescribed by a doctor or a pharmacist.
“Kids in Laramie, for example,” Tubbs said, referring to students at the University of Wyoming, “they’ve got to know that the potential of popping pills has dire consequences for a lot of people.”
This story was published on Dec. 4, 2025.