Colorado authorities uncovered the largest stash of counterfeit fentanyl pills ever found in the state. It is also one of the biggest fentanyl pill seizures in the country. The discovery happened after a citizen legally purchased an abandoned storage unit and found what deputies later called a “shocking” amount of illegal drugs.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the record-breaking seizure took place on Nov. 11 at a storage facility in Highlands Ranch. The buyer who won the unit at auction opened it and saw items that looked like narcotics. They immediately contacted law enforcement.
When deputies arrived, they found 198 kilograms of counterfeit fentanyl pills, roughly 1.7 million pills. They also found 12 kilograms of fentanyl powder and 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine. Officials said the amount of fentanyl uncovered was enough to kill millions of people.
Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office showed deputies opening a container and uncovering the drugs. One deputy reacted by saying, “That is an absolute metric s— ton of fentanyl.” He added that it was a “very unique situation.”
DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge David Olesky said the discovery was unlike anything investigators expected. “This played out like an episode of a TV show,” he said. “There is no doubt many lives have been saved by keeping these poison pills off the streets of Colorado.”
Federal officials confirmed that this is the largest one-time seizure of counterfeit pills in Colorado history. It is also the sixth-largest single fentanyl pill seizure ever recorded in the United States.
Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly thanked the citizen, the storage facility staff, and the deputies who handled the call. He said the bust sends a clear message to drug traffickers. “Fentanyl and illegal narcotics will not be tolerated in Douglas County,” Weekly said.
Authorities also confirmed that the original owner of the storage unit had been taken into custody by the DEA in April. The unit later went unpaid and was eventually auctioned off. That led to the discovery.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis praised investigators and welcomed the seizure. He said removing the drugs from the streets “saves lives.” Polis added that the state is focused on cracking down on crime and keeping communities safe.
The bust comes as Colorado faces a steep rise in fentanyl deaths. In 2019, the state recorded 222 fentanyl-related deaths. By 2023, that number had climbed to 1,097. That is a nearly 400 percent increase in four years.
The discovery also comes weeks after Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) introduced bipartisan legislation to help agencies fight the fentanyl crisis. The bill would create federal grants for law enforcement and nonprofits. These grants would support education efforts and provide tools to combat fentanyl poisonings.
Evans said communities need help responding to a crisis that continues to grow. “Everyone deserves to live in a community free from the threat of fentanyl poisonings,” he said.
Authorities say the investigation into the seized drugs is ongoing.