Omaha, Neb.- The Drug Enforcement Administration has reported an increase in seizures of various street drugs such as cocaine and fentanyl.
According to the DEA’s website, investigators took an estimated $2.8 million worth of methamphetamine and marijuana off the streets of Iowa in 2020 and reported an increase in cocaine and fentanyl seizures.
Agents from DEA offices in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Sioux City, and the Quad Cities removed a total of 9 kilograms of fentanyl from communities in Iowa last year. Fentanyl has a dosage unit of just under 2 milligrams. The 9 kilograms seized by the DEA carries enough lethal doses of fentanyl for four and a half million people.
“Last year in Iowa, we seized more lethal doses of fentanyl than there are people within the state,” Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “We’ve seen a jump in fentanyl and counterfeit pills across our five-state division and we want to make people aware of the fact that pills purchased off of the street should be considered incredibly dangerous and potentially lethal. The makers of counterfeit pills are not careful or precise in their measurements. One pill may have 1 milligram of fentanyl, while another from the same batch may have 3 milligrams, or enough to kill a person. The only prescription medication people should be taking is one that comes directly from a pharmacy or licensed physician.”
In addition, agents seized 70% more cocaine in Iowa than in 2019. This was attributed to increased availability of cocaine in the US due to high coca production in Columbia.
