LA Seized Enough Fentanyl in 2022 to Kill Half of California

Fentanyl and cash seized by DEA Los Angeles. Courtesy of DEA Los Angeles

So far in 2022, authorities in Los Angeles have seized 38 million doses of fentanyl, enough to kill almost half of California’s population.

That number also accounts for 10 percent of the total illegal fentanyl confiscated nationwide, which is 379 million doses according to a recent press release published by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The amount seized in Los Angeles this year is more than double the amount in 2021, according to the agency.

Fentanyl, firearms, and cash confiscated by DEA Los Angeles. Courtesy of DEA Los Angeles

“As people prepare to celebrate the holidays and gather with friends and family, let us be mindful of the fentanyl threat that is destroying families across the nation and leaving empty seats at the dinner table this year,” said DEA Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner in a release on the agency’s Twitter account.

Most of the illegal fentanyl in the United States is being trafficked across the border by the Sinaloa and CJNG Cartels after being “mass-produced at secret factories in Mexico with chemicals sourced largely from China,” according to the DEA’s press release.

A bag full of bags of fentanyl pills seized by DEA Los Angeles. Courtesy of DEA Los Angeles

“Los Angeles is a major transshipment hub for fentanyl and other drugs and we continue to see massive amounts of addictive drugs flooding our neighborhoods. These seizures represent our tenacious efforts to make our communities safer and our ongoing commitment to save lives,” Bodner added.

The DEA describes fentanyl as a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Six out of every ten fentanyl pills sold illegally potentially contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, according to DEA laboratory testing.

Fentanyl pills are often disguised and sold by drug dealers as prescription medication like Percocet and Xanax. This has led to accidental overdoses when people didn’t realize they were taking the powerful opioid.