DETROIT — Federal agents in Detroit recently took more than 17 kilograms of fentanyl — enough to kill 8.5 million people — off the street, authorities announced Thursday.

The effort was part of the Fentanyl Free America enforcement surge by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration's Detroit Field Division. The operation also netted 176 arrests, according to the DEA.

The surge resulted in the DEA seizing more than 17 kilograms of fentanyl "representing 8.5 million potential deadly doses," the agency said in a news release.

"Our Fentanyl Free America campaign is DEA’s charge to protect the United States from opioids, by disrupting the fentanyl supply chain and reducing its availability, but it is more than seizures and arrests — it is about saving American lives," said Joseph O. Dixon, special agent in charge of the DEA Detroit Field Division, in a news release.

In addition to fentanyl, agents also seized 2,500 counterfeit prescription pills, 142 guns and $2.6 million in cash and assets during the sweep, authorities said.

The arrests were announced ahead of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, which will be observed Friday, the DEA said.

DEA Administrator Terry Cole said just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal. The drug often is hidden in pills or powder, so illegal drug users may believe they are ingesting a different, less lethal substance.

"It's a hidden danger you can't see, taste or smell," Cole said in a video on the agency's YouTube page.

According to the agency, fentanyl-related deaths have dropped over the past several years, but fentanyl remains the leading cause of death among Americans age 18-45. It's considered the most significant drug threat in the region, the DEA said.

Around 1,725 Michigan residents died from drug overdoses in 2025, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Around 60% of all Michigan overdose deaths involve use of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.

In Detroit, 305 residents died from drug overdoses in 2024, a 46% decrease from the year before, the city reported.

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