DETROIT – Federal authorities are no longer treating fentanyl like another street drug. They’re treating it like what they say it has become: a weapon of mass destruction.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has elevated fentanyl to that level; a designation officials say reflects the staggering death toll and the drug’s chemical potency -- just two milligrams can be lethal.
Now, Detroit is about to become a focal point of the DEA’s response as Operation Engage, a nationwide enforcement-and-education initiative, prepares to launch in the city in early 2026.
“The DEA remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting Americans from the deadly threat of fentanyl,” Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon told Local 4. “We are using every resource available to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain and reduce its availability within the United States. The designation of fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction marks a significant step toward our shared goal of a fentanyl-free America.”
“Fentanyl is a drug threat like we’ve never seen before,” said Brian McNeal, Public Information Officer and Community Outreach Specialist for the DEA’s Detroit Field Division, which covers Michigan, Ohio and Northern Kentucky. “It’s more like a chemical weapon than it is a narcotic.”
The designation gives prosecutors expanded tools to target traffickers and elevates drug cartels to the level of foreign terrorist organizations, allowing additional federal resources to be brought to bear, McNeal said. The move comes as fentanyl has been linked to roughly 70% of overdose deaths nationwide, according to the DEA.
More than 100,000 Americans are still dying annually from overdoses, though federal data shows deaths have declined for the first time in five to six years. McNeal credits increased awareness but says the crisis remains.
“One death is one death too many,” he said. “And just one pill can kill. It can end your life.”
Detroit-area seizures rival border busts
Since September, the DEA’s Detroit Field Division has seized more than 29 kilograms of fentanyl -- amounts McNeal said were once seen primarily at the southern border.
“One kilogram could potentially provide a lethal dose to about 500,000 people,” McNeal said.
That means the fentanyl seized in the region over just a few months carried the potential to kill millions.
“It’s sobering,” he said. “It’s really scary when you think about how deadly this drug is.”
The seizures highlight a shift in trafficking patterns, with fentanyl increasingly processed, distributed and sold far from border states. Much of it arrives disguised as counterfeit prescription pills, often ordered online and shipped directly to homes, according to the DEA.
“You no longer have to meet some weird dude in a weird part of town,” McNeal said. “You can just sit on your phone and order these drugs.”
Counterfeit pills, no quality control
DEA officials warn there is no consistency in illicit pills. In makeshift operations -- sometimes involving nothing more than consumer-grade blenders -- traffickers mix fentanyl with filler and press pills with no quality control.
“Half the pill might have 10 milligrams of fentanyl, and the other half might have zero,” McNeal said. “There’s nobody in a white coat saying, ‘Hey, go easy on the fentanyl.’”
In earlier years, as many as seven in 10 counterfeit pills tested by the DEA contained a potentially lethal dose. That number has dropped to about 29%, the DEA states, but the risk remains extreme.
New dangers: xylazine and beyond
Compounding the danger is xylazine, an animal tranquilizer increasingly mixed into fentanyl supplies. Xylazine is not an opioid, meaning overdose reversal drugs like Narcan may not work.
“It creates a barrier to treatment,” McNeal said, adding that the drug can cause severe, seeping wounds that require medical care before addiction treatment can even begin.
Other fentanyl analogs, such as carfentanil -- far more potent than fentanyl -- have also been seized in the region, including one of the largest carfentanil busts in DEA history in the Michigan-Ohio area within the past two years. McNeal also said statistics show Cocaine appears to be “making a comeback,” as the DEA reports more cocaine seizures in 2025 compared to 2024.
Operation Engage comes to Detroit
The DEA plans to roll out Operation Engage in Detroit in early 2026. The initiative combines enforcement with education and community outreach, targeting specific drug threats in selected cities.
“We’re bringing it home,” McNeal said.
The first public-facing effort will appear at the Detroit Auto Show, where the DEA plans to host an education booth. Additional outreach will involve schools, faith organizations, recovery groups and youth programs, including partnerships with Detroit police initiatives like the Police Athletic League.
The goal, McNeal said, is to meet people where they are — even if that means conversations after dodgeball games or fishing trips.
“When people feel comfortable, they ask real questions,” he said.
‘Fentanyl doesn’t care’
“It doesn’t know where you live. It doesn’t know what degree is hanging on the wall. There is no demographic,” McNeal said. “A one-time use could end your life.”
He urges families to have direct, even uncomfortable conversations on a consistent basis -- and to secure medications at home.
“We don’t know who’s struggling when they visit our house,” he said. “There was even a gang going around pretending to buy houses. So, they’d go to open houses and they’d just go to the medicine cabinets and steal pills.”
DEA resources are available at dea.gov and through education campaigns such as “One Pill Can Kill,” aimed at caregivers, educators, faith leaders and young people.