DEA Seizure of 1.7 Million Fentanyl Pills Shocks Highlands Ranch Community

By Heather Willard | KDVR FOX31

DENVER (KDVR) — A Highlands Ranch storage unit that was purchased during an auction turned into law enforcement’s largest seizure of fentanyl in Colorado history.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said that on Nov. 11, someone legally purchased a storage unit and when they opened it, found multiple items that appeared to be illegal.

The purchaser contacted the sheriff’s office, and deputies and narcotics detectives quickly identified what the sheriff’s office described as a “massive quantity” of kilogram-sized packages and M-30 pills, which are counterfeit pills sold on the street containing fentanyl.

After testing the pills, investigators confirmed they had seized:

• 198 kg of counterfeit fentanyl pills, which is about 1.7 million pills
• 12 kg of fentanyl powder
• 2.5 lbs of methamphetamine

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office thanked the citizen who reported the discovery, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Colorado Bureau of Investigation for responding quickly and aiding in the seizure.

Officials said this is the largest fentanyl seizure in Colorado history, and the sixth largest in the U.S.

“Let’s be clear, this seizure represents thousands of lives saved,” said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge David Olesky during a press conference on Monday. “It is also indicative that the Mexican cartels continue to traffic significant quantities of fentanyl to Colorado and the seizure has been tied to active DEA investigations involving federal, state and local partners touching six different states as well as Mexico, targeting the Sinaloa Cartel.”

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