Laura Kimble, senior drug chemist and forensic scientist with the Hamilton County CoronerÕs Crime Laboratory located in Blue Ash, counts out fake oxycodone, Thursday, March 24, 2022. Legally prescribed, the drug is used to relieve severe pain. It is an opioid analgesic. The fake pills contain fentanyl and acetaminophen. But though the drugs were confiscated in the same drug bust, theyÕre not all the same. Kimble said one pill tested with no actual drugs in it. She noted the discoloration and smudging of the letters. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and is 100 times more potent than morphine. Covid Death Hit One Million
San Diego, California – The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that nearly two million fentanyl pills were seized over the last 18 months, along with hundreds of pounds of other narcotics — a sign of intensifying local efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
The seizures, which also included 406 pounds of methamphetamine, 33 pounds of cocaine, and 16.3 pounds of heroin, represent one of the largest drug interdiction efforts in the region in recent years. Officials estimate the street value of the fentanyl alone at over $20 million.
The announcement comes alongside a 30% drop in fentanyl-related deaths in San Diego County this year, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. While overdose deaths remain a serious concern, the decline marks the first significant improvement after years of sharp increases.
The Sheriff’s Office began expanding its fentanyl response in 2022 and received $1 million in state funds in 2023 to boost enforcement and investigations. Additional financial support, including a $500,000 allocation from the County Board of Supervisors, helped fund new initiatives targeting the local distribution of synthetic opioids.
Officials say the coordinated funding and increased enforcement have played a role in reducing the availability of fentanyl on the street. But the supply remains steady, and public health advocates warn that enforcement efforts alone do not address the full scope of the crisis.
In the aftermath of major seizures or arrests, outreach workers often report sudden surges in overdoses within affected areas. The reason is partly physiological: users lose tolerance quickly during short gaps in access and often seek out unfamiliar suppliers, increasing the risk of a fatal dose.
Fentanyl continues to circulate widely in San Diego County, often selling for $40 to $60 per gram. Community advocates and harm reduction workers say this underscores the ongoing need for expanded education, treatment access, and overdose prevention tools like naloxone.
While the recent numbers suggest progress, the situation remains precarious. Local law enforcement faces the challenge of curbing drug supply in a market where synthetic opioids are cheap to manufacture, easy to distribute, and devastating in even tiny doses.
The Sheriff’s Office, backed by state and county support, is expected to continue its current operations. Whether these efforts will result in sustained reductions in overdose deaths remains to be seen.
