DENVER, CO — Federal authorities have announced one of the largest counterfeit fentanyl pill seizures in U.S. history after uncovering approximately 1.7 million pills inside a storage unit in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division, the discovery marks the largest single seizure of counterfeit pills ever recorded in Colorado and the sixth-largest nationwide.

The pills were found after a winning bidder legally purchased the contents of a storage unit—only to discover it was filled with fentanyl pills and an additional 12 kilograms of fentanyl powder. Officials say the powder alone could have produced up to six million more pills.

“This played out like an episode of a TV show,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge David Olesky. “There is no doubt many lives have been saved by keeping these poison pills off the streets of Colorado.”

The bidder immediately contacted the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, whose deputies responded to secure the scene. Sheriff Darren Weekly praised the reporting citizen and emphasized the county’s stance on narcotics enforcement, stating that illegal drugs “will not be tolerated” in the community.

The seizure is tied to an ongoing investigation involving the DEA and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The registered owner of the storage unit is already in federal custody, officials confirmed.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director Armando Saldate said the scale of the seizure represents “countless lives saved,” while Colorado Gov. Jared Polis thanked law enforcement agencies for their cooperation. Polis said efforts to remove fentanyl from communities “keep families safe” and reflect statewide efforts to crack down on crime.

Authorities say no further updates will be released due to the active investigation.