COLORADO — More than 600,000 pills were seized earlier this month and a Denver man was arrested in Colorado Springs, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The DEA says they received a tip in Albuquerque regarding this incident when a person reported two suspicious men traveling on a bus to Denver with four suitcases and a backpack.
They say one of the men left, and two of the suitcases were seized by the Albuquerque Police Department. According to the DEA, around 330,000 fake pills and two ounces of heroin were in the suitcase.
The DEA office in Colorado Springs was notified about the second man on the bus. According to the DEA, the man was detained and a search warrant of the suitcases and the backpacks led to the seizure of around 340,000 fake pills and several thousand dollars in cash.
The man was later identified as a Denver fugitive wanted on outstanding drug trafficking warrants. His name and information on the other man have not been released.
“The number of fentanyl pills seized in this case is almost enough to give every resident in the city of Denver one fake pill,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez released the following statement regarding this incident:
“Removing fentanyl from our community continues to be a matter of life and death. Fentanyl is an epidemic that has deep effect in communities across our country and claims innocent lives daily. Seizures of this size are only possible with the collaborative work with our partner agencies on the DEA Task Force and community members who are courageous enough to do something about it.”
El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal also released a statement regarding the pill seizure. You can read it below:
“I am proud of the collaborative efforts between my Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Field Division, and the Colorado Springs Police Department. Our partnership has allowed for a streamlined approach to stopping fentanyl and other dangerous drugs from getting into the hands of those most vulnerable, including children, and reducing victims in our community."
Michael Allen, the 4th Judicial District Attorney also released the below statement:
“The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is grateful for the dedicated efforts of our law enforcement agencies as they work to clear drugs off the streets and for their partnership in holding offenders accountable. The deadly impact of fentanyl is a clear threat to our community and this incident makes plain our steadfast resolve to hold fentanyl death-dealers accountable."
According to the DEA, the fake pills represent about 25% of total pill seizures in all of 2023 in Colorado.
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