By The FirstFederal drug agents called it “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
According to a report from ABC 7, the DEA announced the first significant seizure of so-called rainbow fentanyl. It happened on September 28 when agents and officers stopped a vehicle on the Manhattan side of the Lincoln Tunnel — 15,000 multicolored pills were seized.
From ABC 7:
The pills were imprinted with “30 M” to resemble 30mg oxycodone hydrochloride pills, usually prescribed to treat severe pain after an operation or a serious injury.
“The pills look like candy,” said New York City’s special narcotics prosecutor Bridget Brennan. “We believe it is critically important to educate the public about this new form fentanyl is taking.”
Rainbow fentanyl began showing up on the streets on the West Coast in February and has gradually made its way across the country.
The multicolored pills are similar looking to party drugs and are meant to be more appealing so Mexican cartels responsible for trafficking them can cultivate a new market among younger people, according to the DEA’s Frank Tarentino, who called it “newly packaged poison.”
“Fentanyl is everywhere and it is on everything,” Tarentino said, noting some of the pills seized in the car were discovered in a yellow LEGO box.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) shared the story on Twitter, saying “This makes Halloween frightening for any parent. It’s shameful DEA is telling us who’s doing it & where it’s coming from but the Democrats controlling government refuse to take action. We MUST secure our border immediately & stop this chemical warfare.”
