Fentanyl deaths up 10% in Colorado despite nationwide decrease

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division reports that although fentanyl deaths are down nationwide, in Colorado, they are up 10%.

According to the DEA in Denver, fentanyl pills sell for $1-5 per pill on average, with just two milligrams being a likely fatal dose for non-addicts.

In 2025, the Rocky Mountain DEA reports that they seized around 6.7 million fentanyl pills in Colorado, with the majority coming into the United States from Mexico-based Sinaloa and CJCG Cartels.

The drug is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, and is usually in pill form that appears as oxycodone M-30 pills, says officials. However, the DEA says fentanyl powder is now prevalent in Colorado.

The DEA says the pill is not only designed to look like oxycodone but also looks similar to Xanax and Percocet.

In Denver, nearly 500 people died from drug overdoses in 2025, with 67% caused by fentanyl, according to the DEA.

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