DEA Launches National Initiative Targeting Fentanyl Supply and Demand
“Fentanyl Free America” campaign combines enforcement, education, and public outreach as synthetic opioid deaths decline to early-pandemic levels.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has announced a sweeping new initiative aimed at reducing the supply and demand for fentanyl, as federal authorities continue to respond to the ongoing synthetic opioid crisis.
The campaign, called Fentanyl Free America, pairs expanded enforcement operations with a public awareness push intended to curb fentanyl trafficking and prevent further deaths. According to the CDC, nearly 50,000 people in the United States lost their lives to fentanyl last year.
DEA officials say intensified enforcement is putting pressure on major trafficking networks, including the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels. Laboratory data from fiscal year 2025 shows measurable shifts in the fentanyl supply:
29% of fentanyl pills tested contained a potentially lethal dose — down from 76% in 2023.
Fentanyl powder purity fell to 10.3%, compared to 19.5% two years earlier.
Federal officials say these declines in potency align with a nationwide reduction in synthetic opioid deaths, now at their lowest level since April 2020.
As cartel operations evolve, the DEA reports a greater emphasis on trafficking fentanyl powder and increased domestic pill production. In October alone, agents seized more than two dozen pill-press machines. So far in 2025, the agency has seized over 45 million fentanyl pills and more than 9,000 pounds of fentanyl powder — the equivalent of an estimated 347 million potentially lethal doses removed from circulation.
“Fentanyl Free America represents DEA’s unwavering commitment to save American lives and end the fentanyl crisis,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “We are making significant progress in this fight, and we must continue to intensify efforts to disrupt the fentanyl supply and reduce demand.”
The new initiative expands efforts across four areas: enforcement, education, public awareness, and strategic partnerships. Since 2021, synthetic opioids have claimed nearly 325,000 American lives.
Public engagement is a central component of the campaign. DEA is urging educators, healthcare professionals, community leaders, faith organizations, parents, and law enforcement to help raise awareness and prevent fentanyl poisonings. Free educational materials — including posters, radio spots, billboards, and social media resources — are available at dea.gov/fentanylfree.
The initiative is part of a broader federal strategy to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and strengthen the nationwide response to fentanyl’s impacts.
