DEA Targets Fentanyl Supply Chain

0:00 Speaker 1 Sunday morning. What is today is Frank Tarantino, the Associate Chief of Operations for the DEA for the Northeast Region. And well, Frank, we were together the other day and I said to you, I dream about a drug free America.

0:19 Speaker 2 You know, John, that is a very optimistic and realistic viewpoint, and that is why the DEA has started with what we call Fentontal Free America. Fentertal Free Americas are an unwavering commitment to protect the United States from synthetic opioids, specifically by disrupting, you know, the entire fentinal supply chain, reducing into availability that hit our streets, but also most importantly,

0:43 to save American lives. You know, we focused primarily during this fentinal Free America surge, which just entered yesterday, on increased enforcement operations throughout the Northeast region, John, and we’ve had some significant success. We’re not done, but we’ve made some substantial progress in this fight against fentanyl, and I’d like to share with you today some of those successes.

1:06 Speaker 1 Well tell us, I mean, because I dream of a completely drop freight, but I’ll take ventanyl freight.

1:14 Speaker 2 So John, you know, during the month long surge in the Northeast region. We see three hundred and fifty kilograms of fensanyl, five hundred and seventy three arrests, almost four hundred and thirty five kilograms of cocaine, nearly eight million dollars in cryptocurrency, and two hundred and forty kilograms of methaphetamine.

1:34 But I want to focus primarily on the fentinyl. Three hundred and fifty kilograms of fentanyl may not resonate with our listeners today, so let me put it into context. Three hundred and fifty kilograms of fentinyl is the equivalent of approximately seventeen million lethal doses of fentanyl, which is the equivalent of five states in the Northeast population main

2:00 New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. And if that doesn’t resonate with our listeners today, that’s the equivalent of two hundred and forty fully sold out NFL stadiums across the country. We’re talking about a devastating effect on our communities and throughout the Northeast. We’ve had tremendous successes.

2:22 We had an incredible operation in our Washington, DC area by our Washington Division Office that spanned all the way up to New York. They seized a tremendous amount of different types of drugs, to include sixty three pounds of methamphetamine, made a number of different arrests. But that is specifically, John, in support of the Safe and Beautiful Task Force in Washington,

2:47 d C. Which is a priority for our president. But I want to talk more specifically about New York. In New York, we see two hundred kilograms of fentanyl in that one month long surge. John, that’s the equivalent of ten million lethal doses. That’s the entire population of the city of New York. So that’s the kind of devastating

3:07 effect that this illicit, very potent, very lethal drug has on our community. And that’s the work that our men and women of the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with all of our partners, are doing each and every day to protect this country, you know, because really, John, it’s about protecting the United States of America and our citizens, in.

3:28 Speaker 1 Our kids, in our kids, which is very important to all of us.

3:32 Speaker 2 That’s right, John. You know, we believe very strongly that our children are worth fighting for, our communities are worth fighting for, and our future is worth fighting for. And that’s why the DEA has doubled down and refocused its efforts on increased enforcement during Fentonel Free America and most pycifically during this last thirty day.

3:50 Speaker 1 Surge and Frank turns. You know, since we cloud down on Mexico for the fetanyl, and since we took over Venezuela and hopefully those boats are not coming in anymore. How do you see the North East region? Is there less vetanyl, less drugs around?

4:18 Speaker 2 Well, John, this increased effort, not just here in the Northeast region, across the country and all over the world has had a dramatic effect on how the cartels operate, how these transnational criminal organizations are moving their illicted drugs and proceeds around the world. And this is an increased effort.

4:36 So we’re going to maintain this momentum. We have a lot of work left to do, but the men and women of the DEA have risen to the occasion and they’re willing to meet the moment because again, this is about protecting America. And we will continue, John to work with all of our partners because it really is about

4:54 the partnerships. We can’t do anything by ourselves, and we recognize that the state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies, along with the Department of War and the intelligence community, add significant value to our fight.

5:09 Speaker 1 Well, Frank Tarantino, Associate Chief of Operations for the DEA for the whole Northeast region, thank you so much for coming in and we worry about our kids, we worry, we worry about our relatives. Thank you for what you’re doing.

5:23 Thank you for making our city and our country and the Northeast region safer.

5:29 Speaker 2 Well. Thank you, John, and thank you for championing our message and for supporting our efforts. Thank you,