Illegal drugs remain a dangerous issue throughout the United States, with the synthetic opioid fentanyl being a major concern due to the alarming number of fentanyl-laced fake pills being sold on the streets that lead to death.

Fentanyl is so dangerous because it is purely synthetic, meaning it can be made easily and cheaply in a lab, and it is more potent. Experts say it's about 50 to 100 times stronger than many prescription opioids and there's no way to tell with the naked eye if a pill is laced with fentanyl.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's 'One Pill Can Kill' campaign, the DEA seized more than 80 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in 2023 alone. Laboratory testing indicates that 7 out of every 10 pills seized by DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.

The 2023 seizures are equivalent to more than 390 million lethal doses of fentanyl. By comparison, 58 million fake pills were seized in 2022, so it's easy to see why addressing this growing issue is a top priority.

Fentanyl-Related Deaths Are Not Just A Major City Problem In Minnesota

Authorities in Minnesota are well aware that this is not just a major city issue. For example, late last year City of Duluth authorities announced they had responded to 37 opioid-related fatal overdoses, surpassing the total amount of fatal opioid-related overdoses that occurred in 2022.

Furthermore, the 2023 Duluth number represented an 11-year-high, or a 3,600% increase in opioid-related fatal overdoses (2013 to current), and an 11-year-high, or an 873.81% increase in opioid-related overdoses (2013 to current) within the City of Duluth.

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Those numbers are alarming, which is why when authorities take a significant number of illegal pills off the street, especially in a single drug bust, it's noteworthy.

Duluth Police Department Announces Major Fentanyl Drug Bust

On Wednesday, October 09, the Duluth Police Department posted on Facebook that it had completed a successful drug bust within the city.

According to the post, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9, Duluth Police Investigators, Officers, Members of the Tactical Response Team, and Drone Operators along with Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force Investigators executed a search warrant in the 100 block of E 3rd Street.

During the search warrant, they seized a total of 1,741 M30 pills, which are commonly laced with fentanyl. 29-year-old Khadijah Preston had 1,434 of the pills in her physical possession,  while 307 were found in her residence.

Preston was lodged at the St. Louis County Jail for pending charges of 1st Degree Sale of Fentanyl.

Khadijah Denise Preston/St.Louis County Jail Roster
Khadijah Denise Preston/St.Louis County Jail Roster
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Duluth Police went on to thank everyone who helped take harmful substances off Duluth streets while also detaining Preston without incident.

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