HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Hundreds of thousands of pills seized and millions of potentially fatal doses of fentanyl kept off the streets. Those are just some of the highlights from the DEA’s work to combat fentanyl in Virginia in 2023.
“Just astonishment really," said Roxana Ballinger when asked for her reaction to the numbers.
She lost her son to fentanyl in 2022.
“I know my son didn’t want to die," Ballinger said. "He was just surviving."
According to a news release from the DEA’s Washington Division, which covers D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, more than 639,000 fentanyl pills were seized in 2023. That's an increase of more than 250% from 2022.
One hundred eighty nine pounds of fentanyl powder were also seized in 2023. The DEA says over 6.1 million potentially fatal doses of the drug were kept off the streets.
“It just goes to show you that it’s out of control," said Ballinger.
The impact of fentanyl is something News 3 has highlighted in story after story after story with area families.
"Fentanyl remains to be the deadliest drug in our area," said DEA Washington Division Special Agent In Charge Jarod Forget.
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Forget said the drug continues to pose a growing threat.
“There’s certainly more fentanyl coming in," Forget explained. "It’s a worldwide, complex drug threat. It’s truly global, from precursor chemicals coming from Asia to Mexico to the criminal organizations here in the DMV that are distributing it."
As sad and frustrating as the new data may be, for Ballinger it also gives her hope.
“It does give that sense of ‘Hey, something’s being done,'" said Ballinger. "It’s a dent in the global problem that’s out there, and I am happy to see that."
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You can help by talking about the issue. Forget says that's the best way for people to help combat the drug.
He also reminds people to only take a pill that was given to you by a legitimate pharmacy or, for kids, a pill that was given by a parent or caregiver.
