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Waukesha County carfentanil drugs seized, officials issue warning
In Waukesha County, leaders say they’ve taken hundreds of pills off the streets that are deadlier than fentanyl.
WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. - In Waukesha County, leaders say they’ve taken hundreds of pills off the streets that are deadlier than fentanyl.
It's a trend that has DEA agents concerned.
If you were scrolling through social media on Monday, one post may have gotten you to stop.
The Waukesha County Drug Task Force says investigators took, quote, "several hundred round blue pills" off the streets.
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Officials say the pills contained carfentanil.
A spokesman for the department would not give specifics about this case because it’s an open investigation.
Carfentanil is 100 times more lethal than fentanyl. The DEA says it’s 10,000 times more potent than morphine. The drug was developed to tranquilize large animals like elephants.
In 2017, FOX6 reported on the first carfentanil death in the state.
A Milwaukee County man was found dead in a coworker’s apartment. Police say a broken crack pipe was also found inside.
The CDC reports carfentanil has now been detected in 37 states.
Deaths have increased seven-fold from 29 fatalities in the first half of 2023, to 238 in the same time period last year.
Pills
The DEA says carfentanil is a white, powdery drug that looks like cocaine or fentanyl. Federal investigators say the majority of carfentanil seizures in 2024 were in pill or tablet form.
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They say that’s a, quote, "concerning trend" because of the increased risk of overdose. The DEA says 0.02 milligrams, a pencil tip's worth, can be lethal. Leaders warn NARCAN (Naloxone) is not always effective in reversing a carfentanil overdose.
A pencil tip's worth of carfentanil
FOX6 had questions after seeing the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department's post – FOX6 asked for some context and wanted to know how prevalent carfentanil is in the county.
No one from the drug task force was available for an interview.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department.