DEA warns of opioid up to 100x stronger than fentanyl

(NewsNation) — Federal and local law enforcement agencies have warned communities about a new street drug they say is exponentially stronger than fentanyl.

The Drug Enforcement Administration discovered fake oxycodone pills laced with the deadly nitazene compound during a drug bust on New York's Long Island in August. Nitazenes, a class of extremely potent synthetic opioids, are not approved for medical use due to their toxicity level and high risk of addiction.

Authorities said they believe cartels in Mexico are smuggling the new pills across the southwest border but warned the drugs may also be made locally, using raw materials sent by Chinese criminal networks.

Retired FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said the use of nitazenes is rising rapidly.

Alex Krotulski, 32, associate director and forensic toxicologist, holds a nitazene powder sample at the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, in Willow Grove, Pa. (Photo by Joe Lamberti for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

"This is a rage that's going to hit just like fentanyl. Why? First of all, it's much more potent, 40 to 100% more potent," Coffindaffer told NewsNation. "In addition, it's less expensive. So this is the perfect combination for drug dealers to sell to addicts because they're looking for a greater high at a cheaper price."

The so-called "Frankenstein drug" has gained in popularity as synthetic opioid deaths began to decline.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 43,000 synthetic opioid overdose deaths were reported between March 2024 and March 2025. That's down from nearly 76,000 two years prior.

Nitazenes can be resistant to even double doses of Narcan, the over-the-counter drug that treats potential opioid overdose, and it doesn't show up in testing strips, making it that much more deadly.

According to the University of Maryland's national drug early warning system, nitazene has shown up mostly in the southeastern U.S., including Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia, over the last two years. Rhode Island has detected nitazenes in the state's illicit drug sample supply for the third year in a row.

Late last month, a bipartisan bill called the Nitazene Control Act was introduced in the U.S. House. The bill would close a legal loophole that allows some versions of nitazenes to skirt laws banning synthetic opioids.