Last updated : November 18, 2024
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released the National Drug Threat Assessment for 2024 in May and its findings are certainly concurrent with what we’re seeing take place across the United States. There is a definite change from plant-based drugs to synthetic drugs. Fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to destroy lives at an alarming rate. Overdose deaths, though down for the first time since 2018, continue to plague communities.
Dangerously potent animal tranquilizers have been introduced into the illicit drug market—often unbeknownst to users who purchase their drug of choice not realizing it contains mixing agents that could cause their death. Tranq, the street name for xylazine, is highly addictive and ultimately causes nasty skin ulcerations that are slow to heal. If treatment isn’t sought, amputation is often the end result. The drug is frequently found as an ingredient in pills being marketed as fentanyl.
As if that isn’t bad enough, a drug 100 times more powerful than xylazine has been discovered in the illicit drug supply. Rhino tranq, as it’s already known on the streets, is like tranq on steroids. Overdose deaths were first reported in Philadelphia at the end of April. Since then, the drug has been named responsible for overdose deaths in Illinois and Michigan as well.
It sounds like yet another synthetic drug threat has barrelled into the drug culture of our nation.
Where do they come from?
The DEA is holding two major Mexican cartels responsible for the onslaught of drugs being smuggled into our country by the ton. They are the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels and reportedly their affiliates have been identified in all fifty states. The Sinaloa Cartel operates “hotspots” in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, New York, and New England states. The Jalisco Cartel has large operations in Texas, Georgia, Southern California, North Carolina, and Illinois.
Synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, are manufactured in China. The cartels partner with chemical and pill companies there and then coordinate with associates here in America for distribution. In 2023, the synthetic drugs distributed in this country by the cartels caused 59,019 deaths.
The billions of dollars in revenue earned by distributing synthetic poison hasn’t slowed down the other drugs marketed by the cartels. They also traffic excessive amounts of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana into the country. As well as staying on top of “opportunistic” drug trends as they arise too, of course—the slime balls.
The top 5 count
According to the 2024 Drug Threat Assessment report, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, other opioids, and heroin are, respectively, the top five drugs that caused overdose deaths last year.
Drug seizure comparison beyond sobering
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported that in 2023, 115,562,603 fentanyl pills were confiscated. That’s a staggering number! Moreover, it’s 2,300 times greater than the number confiscated less than a decade ago. In 2017, law enforcement officials seized 49,657 fentanyl pills.
Further comparison revealed that in the past, fentanyl seizures in the western part of the United States were less common, however, today, the region accounts for the highest number of seizures. It holds the record for the overall weight seized as well.
Do we have miles to go?
The drug cartels and distribution areas have been identified. The DEA has no intention of letting that information go to waste. A media report released in early May revealed that Operation Last Mile is the most recent national operation targeting operatives, associates, and distributors affiliated with the two cartels.
The sting involved 1,436 investigations conducted between May 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023. The DEA partnered with federal, state, and local law enforcement and deemed the operation successful. More than 1,000 of the investigations involved social media platforms which include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Wire, and Wickr.
The results?
- 3,337 arrests
- 44 million fentanyl pills seized
- Over 6,500 pounds of fentanyl powder confiscated
- More than 91,000 pounds of methamphetamine off the streets
- 8,497 firearms gathered
- $100 million in cash removed from circulation
The amount of fentanyl seized equated to 193 million deadly doses.
The DEA has sworn to continue to intercept and thwart the illegal activity that is a multi-billion dollar industry for the Mexican cartels and their Chinese partners. The administration also reaches out to communities with efforts to educate students, professionals in higher education, families, youth-serving organizations, and others to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal drugs and the importance of prevention.
We must keep doing the same. Education is our best defense in this fight to take back our country finally putting an end to the scourge that is substance abuse. The battle is far from won but we have our marching orders. We’re committed to keep moving forward one step at a time until one day, it is.
