The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Wednesday announced its "Fentanyl Free America" nationwide enforcement and public awareness initiative aimed at reducing both the supply and demand for fentanyl.
"Fentanyl Free America represents DEA's unwavering commitment to save American lives and end the fentanyl crisis, we are making significant progress in this fight, and we must continue to intensify efforts to disrupt the fentanyl supply and reduce demand," DEA Administrator Terrance Cole wrote in a statement in Wednesday's release.
"DEA is striking harder and evolving faster to dismantle the foreign terrorists fueling this crisis, while empowering all our partners to join the fight to prevent fentanyl-related tragedies.
"Together, we can achieve a fentanyl free America and create a safer future for generations to come."
Fentanyl killed nearly 50,000 Americans last year, according to the CDC. More broadly, synthetic opioids have claimed nearly 325,000 American lives since 2021.
Agency officials say intensified enforcement efforts and expanded intelligence operations are now "applying unprecedented pressure on the global fentanyl supply chain," forcing major traffickers such as the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG to alter their practices.
DEA laboratory testing reported signs of disruption, noting 29% of fentanyl pills analyzed in fiscal year 2025 contained a potentially lethal dose, down from 76% in FY 2023, while fentanyl powder purity fell to 10.3% from 19.5% over the same period.
Officials say the reductions correspond with a decline in synthetic opioid deaths "to levels not seen since April 2020."
As cartels adjust, the DEA says they are becoming "increasingly diversified," shifting more toward fentanyl powder trafficking and domestic pill production.
As of Dec. 1, the agency has seized more than 45 million fentanyl pills and 9,000 pounds of powder this year — enough, it estimates, to remove 347 million potentially deadly doses. The DEA also highlighted the seizure of more than two dozen pill-press machines in October as evidence of evolving criminal tactics.
"DEA remains at the forefront of the fight to disrupt trafficking networks and strengthen the government's response to this epidemic," the agency declared in the release. "Fentanyl Free America represents DEA's heightened focus on enforcement, education, public awareness, and strategic partnerships.
"The goal of the campaign is clear: eliminate the fentanyl supply fueling the nation's deadliest drug crisis."
The effort aligns with a broader whole-of-government Trump administration strategy to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and safeguard U.S. communities from fentanyl.
"The Fentanyl Free America campaign also emphasizes the importance of public engagement," the release concluded.
"DEA encourages everyone from community leaders, clergy, educators, parents, physicians, pharmacists, and law enforcement to take an active role in raising awareness by protecting others through education; preventing fentanyl poisonings by understanding the dangers; and supporting those impacted."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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