SEATTLE, Wash. – The Drug Enforcement Agency has issued a Public Safety Alert following a spike in deaths related to counterfeit prescription pills.
The DEA’s Seattle Field Division said in a statement that officers have seen a massive increase in fake pills containing fentanyl since the start of 2020.
Investigators warn that the pills, which are often marketed as opioid medications, are being sold online through social media platforms.
In many cases, the DEA has also seized illegal firearms from drug traffickers.
The CDC says over 93,000 people have died from drug overdoses nationwide within the past year.