Seizure of Thousands of Candy-Sized Fentanyl Pills Signals Dangerous Trend

Thousands of candy-sized fentanyl pills have been seized in Arizona this week, causing law enforcement officials to be concerned about a dangerous new trend surrounding the drug.

In a tweet on Thursday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Port of Nogales Arizona Director Michael W. Humphries said that officers stationed at the port "seized over 15,000 fentanyl pills strapped to a person's legs."

The tweet included a photo showing the pills, which had an appearance similar to "candy," Humphries wrote.

"This could be the start of a trend with Transnational Criminal Organizations targeting younger users," the tweet added.

The seizure came just one day after Humphries posted a similar tweet, announcing that CBP officers at the Nogales Port of Entry intercepted a vehicle that was carrying 250,000 fentanyl pills. In a photo posted by Humphries, the pills looked similar to the seizure on Thursday. Humphries described the pills as "some of which were different colors, similar to the appearance of candy."

Over the past several months, CBP officers and other law enforcement officials have continued to work to stop fentanyl from entering the U.S.

In a statement on Friday, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that it plans to hold National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on August 21.

"Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. "From large cities to rural America, no community is safe from the presence of fentanyl. DEA is proud to work with families who have been affected by fentanyl poisonings to spread the word and to save lives."

This week, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office in Oregon said that a person was arrested for alleged possession of "four grams of multi-colored, powdered fentanyl, often referred to as 'rainbow fentanyl.'"

Following the arrest and seizure of the rainbow fentanyl, the sheriff's office cautioned the public, saying, "Deputies are particularly concerned about rainbow fentanyl getting into the hands of young adults or children, who mistake the drug for something else, such as candy or a toy, or those who may be willing to try the drug due to its playful coloring."

Kelly Sloop, a pharmacist in Oregon and executive director of the Need 4 Narcan organization, spoke with Newsweek last week about the dangers associated with this new type of fentanyl and how drug dealers and cartels could be using it to target children.

Sloop said that the rainbow fentanyl found in Oregon has "the consistency of sidewalk chalk but it kind of looks like a taffy, saltwater taffy, and it is very appealing because it does look like candy.

"My concern is for our young adults and our youth."

Newsweek reached out to CBP for comment.