A top regional DEA agent said Wednesday in Billings that targeted enforcement and harsher sentences at the federal level are sending a strong message to drug traffickers and helping to decrease fatal doses.
Learn more about their enforcement:
Cesar Avila is the DEA Assistant Special Agent in charge of the Rocky Mountain Region that includes Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming. He spoke with local media about recent enforcement efforts and trends.
The DEA's most recent enforcement initiative, Operation Fentanyl Free America, took more than 9,300 pounds, or four and half tons, of fentanyl off the streets nationwide.
"The lethal doses are decreasing. So that tells us the cartels are either reformulating or trying to pay attention to how many Americans they are killing because that is bringing a lot of undue attention to them," said Avila.
While the strength of the potency of fentanyl seized is trending down, Avila says overdoses still kill tens of thousands nationwide.
He says some of those deaths are being caused by a more dangerous drug becoming more common in Montana.
"In the state of Montana, we have seen carfentanil popping up more and more. Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl is. It is an animal tranquilizer, specifically for elephants and large animals. So, it doesn't take much to basically mimic that fentanyl high," Avila said.
Kim Edinger lost her son, Kayden, to the drug. She says her son thought he was taking a completely different drug.
"He took what he thought was a blue oxy. It's called a blue 30 I believe. He took one pill. He thought it would help him with his anxiety, help him to relax a little bit. It ended up being carfentanil and killed him," said Edinger.
Related: Billings family honors son’s memory through basketball court project
Avila says it's common for both carfentanil and fentanyl to be mixed into almost any illegal drug.
"They'll disguise it as Adderall. They're mixing it in with everything. Cocaine, we've seen it mixed in with marijuana. We've seen it mixed in with methamphetamine," said Avila.
"The scariest part about it is they don't know, and I don't think they care. They make the drug, and you don't know where it's coming from. You don't know what's in it. You don't know if it's a mixture of five different things or if it's carfentanil or fentanyl. You just have no idea," said Edinger.
Previous Q2 coverage:
Avila adds those producing the drugs opt for carfentanil because it's cheaper to make.
"It's cheaper when you're buying it in bulk as a precursor chemical. Obviously, if profit margin is your concern, you're going to go to a drug that is cheaper to make and gives you the same high," said Avila.
Edinger is honoring her son's memory and trying to spread the message about how dangerous drugs can be by holding annual overdose awareness gatherings and having a basketball court built in Pioneer Park.
"I'm focusing on trying to cut off the demand, trying to get people to say 'No, I'm not going to take it.' Not once because I'll get addicted, but not once because it could kill you," Edinger said.
