50K pills containing synthetic opioid ‘100 times stronger than fentanyl’ seized at Lewis County gas station

Published 1:30 am Saturday, September 27, 2025

Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid estimated to be 100 times stronger than fentanyl. On Tuesday, Sept. 16, over 50,000 pills containing the substance were seized at a Centralia gas station.

The seizure was part of a months-long investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Federal Way Police and Centralia Police, according to a release from the DEA, which summarized the recent sequence of events.

“A K-9 alerted to narcotics and located the pills inside the vehicle,” the release stated. “The driver, from Pacific, Washington, was arrested and is facing federal charges. The drugs were tested in the field and sent to the DEA Western Laboratory in Pleasanton, California, for further testing. Lab tests revealed the pills did not contain fentanyl, instead they were carfentanil and filler, acetaminophen.”

The illicit pills were counterfeit M30 pills, which often resemble common oxycodone tablets.

Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid originally developed to tranquilize large animals such as elephants. It is 10,000 times more potent than morphine, according to the release.

Its effects are deadly.

“Carfentanil is like fentanyl on steroids,” said David F. Reames, special agent in charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “The cartels traffic this incredibly dangerous substance in order to profit from our misery.”

Carfentanil has been found mixed with other drugs or pressed into pills that look like prescription painkillers, which increases the likelihood of fatal overdose and poisoning deaths, especially among users who are unaware they are ingesting such a powerful substance.

According to the release, nearly 70% of all drug poisonings and overdose deaths in 2023 involved synthetic opioids. Primary amongst those was fentanyl.

Carfentanil, meanwhile, is one of the deadliest fentanyl analogues, said the DEA. The white, powdery drug resembles fentanyl or cocaine. According to the release, DEA, local law enforcement and first responders have seen an increased presence of carfentanil in the illicit drug market.

Data from the CDC shows that deaths involving carfentanil increased approximately sevenfold — from 29 deaths from January to June 2023, to 238 deaths from January to June 2024. Carfentanil has now been detected in 37 states. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office reported six carfentanil related overdoses in 2024, and four so far in 2025.

Just as concerning, the majority of carfentanil seizures throughout 2024 were in a pill or tablet form, said the DEA, increasing the risk of overdose due to its deceptive appearance.

Exposure to carfentanil can cause respiratory depression or arrest, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation, pinpoint pupils and clammy skin, according to the release. The onset of these symptoms usually occurs within minutes and leaves little time for life-saving interventions.

Multiple, high doses of naloxone — which is commonly used for opioid overdoes — may be required, and even then, effective reversal of an overdose is not guaranteed.

In other words, says the DEA: One Pill Can Kill.

If you suspect someone has been exposed to carfentanil or is experiencing symptoms of overdose, call 911 immediately and administer naloxone, if available.

The DEA urges the public to never take a pill that was not prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.