DEA seized millions
Phoenix DEA Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz emphasized that the investigators are laser-focused on the Sinaloa cartel.
She praised the efforts of DEA agents and other officers over the last three years, stating that their hard work and tenacity are responsible for removing these deadly drugs before they poisoned families, friends, and neighborhoods. Numerous people have been taken into custody in the bust, but authorities do not plan to release their names as it is a continuing investigation.
The bust is of particular significance as the country is grappling with a decades-long opioid epidemic in which fentanyl has become the most commonly used drug involved in overdoses.
Most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm, overdose, and death in the United States are linked to illegally made fentanyl, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Deaths involving synthetic opioids increased by 22% in 2021, and in 2022, there were about 181,806 nonfatal opioid overdoses recorded in the United States.
