We targeted drug cartels to stop fentanyl. Now, overdose deaths are dropping. | Opinion
| Opinion contributor
This fight may seem daunting, and it is unbearable for the families who have lost a loved one. The opioid epidemic has led to tragic deaths across the nation for decades.
In recent years, however, we’ve witnessed Americans being poisoned by fentanyl. Two Mexican cartels are responsible for almost all the fentanyl found in the United States. These cartels press fentanyl into pills to look like prescription medications and they hide fentanyl powder in other drugs like cocaine.
This deception drives addiction, leading to more sales and profit. Of the more than 107,000 drug-related deaths last year, 69% of them involved fentanyl. That is about 200 American lives lost every day to fentanyl.
But today, we are making significant progress in this battle.
Drug deaths decline by more than 14%
According to new provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug deaths in the United States have fallen for the first time in five years. The United States has seen a more than 14% decrease in deaths between June 2023 and June 2024.
While several contributors led to the decline, this marks an important milestone in DEA’s fight to save lives.
We launched counter threat teams focused on a whole network approach to disrupt and defeat the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, the Mexican gangs responsible for the deadly influx of fentanyl and methamphetamine into the United States.
While the harm is felt in the United States, the global fentanyl supply chain spans more than 65 countries. Our goal is simple: Take action across the entire supply chain and make it impossible for the cartels to do business.
DEA’s investigations have resulted in charges against Chinese chemical companies and Chinese nationals responsible for the production and sale of chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl; the leaders, money launderers, transporters and enforcers of the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels; thousands of individuals across the United States who work for the cartels and pedal fentanyl on social media and on our streets; and the money launderers moving billions of dollars in drug money across the globe.
DEA is proud to lead this fight to stop deadly drugs from coming into our communities. Our agency has some of the most highly skilled professionals in the world – special agents, intelligence analysts, data scientists, cyber specialists, social media analysts and forensic scientists – working together to take down these multinational criminal drug networks.
Top drug cartel leaders arrested
Working with our law enforcement partners, our approach has led to the arrests of top cartel leaders and record drug and money seizures.
Last year, DEA seized 80 million fentanyl pills and 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, which is the equivalent to 390 million doses. That is enough to kill every single American.
DEA has disrupted global drug trafficking operations from China to Mexico by arresting and indicting cartel members at the highest levels of leadership ‒ including Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of notorious drug kingpin “El Chapo,” and Ismael Zambada García, or “El Mayo.”
Since 2021, four out of the seven top Sinaloa cartel members have been taken into custody, and three will soon face justice in the United States. DEA has also uncovered and taken down significant global money laundering operations, cutting off funding to the cartel’s operations.
Since launching DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign in 2021, we have focused on raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.
We also have partnered with families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl. This has been a game changer. The families have been key to sharing lifesaving information and resources in communities across the country. These parents, children, grandparents and siblings continue to turn tragedy into action by working to prevent other families from experiencing their pain.
Recently, at the National Family Summit on Fentanyl, I was thrilled to share with the families another major step in our progress in this fight. We have seen a significant drop in the lethality of counterfeit pills seized in our communities this past year. In 2023, DEA found that 7 out of 10 pills contain a deadly dose of fentanyl. Today, 5 out of 10 pills are potentially deadly.
Seeing a decline in the number of deadly pills on the streets of America is further proof that our efforts are working.
While DEA is proud of the progress we are seeing, we are focused on the work that still needs to be done. Every life lost is one too many. DEA and our partners will continue to fight every day to protect our communities and save lives.
This fight is winnable, but it requires everyone pulling in the same direction. We need everyone to educate themselves, their loved ones and their communities on the dangers of fentanyl.
Anyone can use DEA’s One Pill Can Kill resources to spread the message about the dangers of fentanyl and to educate themselves.
DEA also has recently launched a new resource for families. The Together For Families Network will serve as a one-stop shop to connect advocates and share information, because we know each of us can make a difference.
This recent news shows that together we can save lives, and that it takes all of us working together to win this fight.
Anne Milgram is the administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2024/11/26/dea-drug-deaths-fentanyl-mexican-cartels/75487168007/