SEATTLE, WA– Federal and local law enforcement agencies are warning the public after more than 50,000 counterfeit M30 pills containing the powerful synthetic opioid carfentanil were seized in Centralia.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division, the September 16 seizure followed a months-long investigation involving the DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Way Police, and Centralia Police. A police K-9 alerted to narcotics during a traffic stop at a gas station, where officers recovered 50,208 pills hidden inside a vehicle. The driver, a Pacific, Washington, resident, was arrested and faces federal charges.
Laboratory testing confirmed the seized pills contained carfentanil mixed with acetaminophen. Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid originally developed as a tranquilizer for large animals such as elephants, is estimated to be 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl. The drug is not approved for human use.
“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.”
Officials warn that even microscopic amounts of carfentanil can be deadly. Counterfeit pills designed to resemble prescription painkillers increase the risk of overdose among people who may not realize what they are ingesting. Treating overdoses is particularly difficult; multiple high doses of naloxone may be needed, and reversal is not always guaranteed.
Carfentanil-related deaths have been rising nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a sevenfold increase in deaths from the drug between early 2023 and mid-2024, and the King County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed six deaths in 2024 and four so far in 2025.
The DEA cautions the public with its ongoing “One Pill Can Kill” campaign: only take medication prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. Anyone who suspects exposure or witnesses overdose symptoms is urged to call 911 immediately and administer naloxone if available.
