JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The DEA says at least seven confirmed 'mass overdose events' happened across the United States in the last two months, resulting in 58 overdoses and 29 overdose deaths.
“Fentanyl over the last few years just been killing Americans and the numbers are just off the charts," said Mike Dubet, assistant special agent in charge of the Jacksonville DEA district office.
Dubet says last year over a 100,000 people died from overdose.
"Over the last couple months there’s been about seven incidents that we consider a mass overdose events, the last being in south Florida in the Wilton Manor area," said Dubet.
Dubet says one of DEA's primary concerns are counterfeit prescription drugs.
"Mexican cartels making counterfeit pills to look like Xanax and Oxycontin and so forth, and they are containing a lethal amounts of fentanyl in them," said Debut.
Dubet says a lethal amount of Fentanyl is considered 2 milligrams, which is about 10 grains of salt.
At least 40% of the counterfeit pills the DEA seized last year contained at least that much fentanyl.
"Taking these counterfeit pills, you have a 60 percent chance of living. You’re playing Russian roulette is what you are doing," said Dubet.
Dubet says for drug traffickers it’s all about greed and profit, but stopping the flow of the lethal drugs is the agency’s high priority.