OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) field office of Omaha said it saw an increase in the amount of marijuana and methamphetamine seized in the state. It also said it saw the seizure of “one-and-a-half million lethal doses” of fentanyl.
When comparing 2020 and 2019, the DEA said marijuana seizures were more than six times last year. Methamphetamine seizures were also up by about 68%.
Omaha agents alone seized 421 pounds of methamphetamine and 4,644 pounds of marijuana. The street value of those drugs is about $13.3 million said the DEA.
“Last year’s drug trends were interesting to follow as drug trafficking organizations adjusted to the COVID pandemic by changing prices and finding new ways to push their dangerous products into Nebraska,” Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Justin C. King said.
The DEA said, “Multi-pound methamphetamine seizures have become more common in Nebraska as demand for the highly potent Mexican product continues to rise. In 2020, DEA took off 38 pounds of methamphetamine in one event, six pounds more than the single seizure high of 2019, of 32 pounds.“
The DEA also seized about 5.5 pounds of fentanyl which is about 100 times more potent than morphine. The drug doesn’t take much to kill a person. Ingesting the equivalent of a few grains of salt is enough to end someone’s life the DEA said.
“We’ve seen a jump in fentanyl and counterfeit pills across our five-state Division,” King said. “We want to make people aware of the fact that pills purchased off of the street should be considered incredibly dangerous and potentially lethal. The makers of counterfeit pills are not careful or precise in their measurements. One pill may have 1 milligram of fentanyl, while another from the same batch may have 3 milligrams, or enough to kill a person. The only prescription medication people should be taking is one that comes directly from a pharmacy or licensed physician.”
Cocaine was the third most-seized drug but amounts seized in 2020 showed a decline.
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