Desperate Measures: DEA Targets Online Retailers Selling Pill Presses in Fight Against Fentanyl Scourge
In a desperate bid to disrupt the deadly flow of fentanyl, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has set its sights on a new target: online retailers selling pill presses. This bold strategy aims to cripple the supply chain of counterfeit pills laced with the synthetic opioid, responsible for a staggering number of overdose deaths across the United States.
Last week, the DEA issued a stern warning to over 450 online retailers across the US, Europe, and Asia. This unprecedented move cautioned these companies that failing to report detailed sales data of pill presses to law enforcement could constitute a federal offense.
Among the warned businesses were e-commerce giants like Alibaba (China) and Mercari (Japan), highlighting the global reach of the DEA's campaign. Both companies declined to comment on the matter.
Unassuming tabletop pill presses, readily available for purchase online, play a sinister role in the fentanyl crisis. These seemingly innocuous machines, typically priced around $4,000, boast the capability of churning out 5,000 counterfeit pills per hour, according to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.
While legal for legitimate uses, drug traffickers exploit these presses in conjunction with stamps and dies to create counterfeit pills that mimic legitimate medications like oxycodone, Xanax, and Percocet. These deceptively similar pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl, further fueling the nationwide overdose epidemic.
This aggressive move against online retailers follows the landmark settlement reached with eBay earlier this year. The online auction platform agreed to pay a hefty $59 million to settle allegations of turning a blind eye to the sale of pill presses on its platform, marking the first settlement of its kind.
The DEA has made it abundantly clear that similar action is possible for other online retailers who fail to implement buyer verification protocols and maintain legally mandated sales records. Notably, giants like Amazon and Etsy have already prohibited the sale of pill presses and stamps altogether, demonstrating a willingness to cooperate with the DEA's efforts.
DEA Administrator Milgram emphasizes the urgency of the situation: "We're in the midst of a national crisis, and no one, not even e-commerce companies, can afford to be complicit by turning a blind eye to what's happening."
Preliminary data paints a grim picture, with the US on track to surpass 100,000 drug overdose deaths in 2023, marking the third consecutive year above this devastating threshold. Fentanyl, and its associated drug class, is attributed to a staggering 70% of these fatalities.
This renewed focus on online retailers reflects a strategic shift for the DEA. While historically targeting high-profile drug kingpins, the agency now prioritizes disrupting the entire fentanyl supply chain. Additional efforts include cracking down on Chinese chemical manufacturers supplying fentanyl precursors to Mexican cartels responsible for production and smuggling.
Disrupting the supply lines of counterfeit fentanyl, particularly the widespread presence of fake pills, has proven exceedingly difficult. The fentanyl fueling the US crisis primarily originates from makeshift labs operated by Mexican cartels, who already possess the capacity to flood the US market and exacerbate the overdose crisis.
Bryce Pardo, a researcher with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, acknowledges the challenges in controlling pill presses: "While the US, Canada, and Mexico have some control over these machines, criminals are adept at evading these measures through reclassification, modification, and even resorting to homemade alternatives."
