DEA Omaha Division: 100,000 counterfeit pills already seized in 2022

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - In 2021, drug overdose deaths rose by 16 percent across the country. The Drug Enforcement Administration is now warning Nebraskans about the dangers of drugs and how just one pill can change a life.

In 2021, in the state of Nebraska alone, the DEA seized just under 26 kilograms of fentanyl. Just one kilogram is the same as 500,000 lethal doses.

Through March 23, 2022, there have been roughly 100,000 counterfeit pills seized in the state of Nebraska. As for how lethal those counterfeit pills are, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Omaha Division, Steve Bell said four out of every 10 lab-tested pills contain a lethal dose.

“It is a global problem, it is a U.S. problem and it is a Nebraska problem. This problem isn’t going to go away it’s only going to get worse,” Bell said, “The drugs we are talking about today didn’t exist when I was a kid, it’s important for kids to understand what may look like medicine that their friend gave them isn’t medicine, it could absolutely be a lethal dose of fentanyl.”

This is an image sent to 10/11 NOW from the DEA Omaha Division. The small white powder next to the penny that looks like salt is actually a lethal dose of fentanyl.

It’s not just a fentanyl problem in Nebraska. In 2021, the DEA also seized 757 pounds of methamphetamine in the state, as well as 149 pounds of cocaine. The DEA said between November 1, 2020 and October 31, 2021, there were nearly 106,000 overdose deaths in the country.

“It’s not going away, we lost 106,000 people just last year,” Bell said, “You know Memorial Stadium 85,000, imagine every single fan gone. That’s happening every year and it’s only getting worse.”

A tip from the DEA: know exactly what you’re taking. A deal might look too good to be true online or off the street and there’s a reason for that. They say you should only be taking prescription drugs from a medical professional, because just one pill can kill.

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