The fentanyl flooding Colorado this summer is cheaper, now comes in pink and white, and is sometimes laced with the taste of monkfruit. 

Law enforcement officials said cartels have designed the latest batches to be attractive to young people, with one official comparing their creativity to Baskin-Robbins’ ice cream flavors. 

“The drug market morphs by the hour. This creates a phenomena that is extremely hard for law enforcement to stop,” Brian Besser, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Denver field division, told reporters Wednesday. “You think the cartels are in Mexico? I’ve got a news flash for you. They’re here. I have never seen anything like this in my life.”

Because of its central location, Colorado is now a critical trans-shipment hub in the West for drug smugglers, officials warned, and the price has become right. When bought in bulk, fentanyl pills that used to cost $8 to $10 can now be found for just $1.

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Besser, the sheriffs in Arapahoe and Douglas counties, Denver police and John Kellner, the district attorney for Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, announced their latest in a string of fentanyl busts, almost apologizing that fentanyl news is getting so commonplace that they’re afraid people have stopped paying attention.

In the latest bust, authorities seized 170,000 fentanyl pills outside of an Aurora apartment. They also confiscated 9.4 pounds of heroin, a 2.2 pounds of cocaine, four guns including an AR-15 rifle and an undisclosed amount of cash from a money-remitter business in a shopping center in Aurora.

Kellner said the sting operation began in December 2021 with a single drug buy that evolved into more purchases, then wiretaps, search warrants and seizures.

“It starts with a small case that can be built into something meaningful,” Kellner said.

Biggest seizure of pure fentanyl powder on a U.S. highway made in Colorado

An 18th Judicial District grand jury indicted eight people on charges of smuggling and distributing meth, heroin and fentanyl pills, all of which originated in Mexico.

Law enforcement hasn’t yet arrested the original dealer, believed to be in Mexico, who coordinated with the group. Kellner acknowledged that stopping this operation will only put a temporary pause on business. Although drug runners were taken off the streets, their positions will be refilled soon enough. 

Besser had a laundry list of what the DEA is doing behind the scenes to eradicate drug traffic, including the investigation of 50 active cases, a third of which are in the 18th Judicial District.

It has arrested 65 high-level defendants and confiscated 500,000 fake fentanyl pills, 360 pounds of meth, 104 pounds of cocaine and taken nearly 200 guns off the street that were tied to drug operations. Authorities have also seized $16 million in drug money.

“That’s the most important thing to them. They expect to lose product, but what they want the most is to get them money down south,” Besser said.

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As first reported by The Gazette, the largest U.S. highway seizure of pure fentanyl powder occurred June 20 on Interstate 70 near Georgetown. The Colorado State Patrol discovered the 114-pound megahaul hidden underneath a trap door beneath the front seats of a vehicle during a traffic stop.

According to DEA estimates, 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of pure fentanyl powder is enough to kill 500,000 people.

The record haul from last month’s bust was packed into 48 1-kilo blocks. The identity of the car’s driver is being kept secret to protect his family from retribution from drug cartels.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Capt. Darren Weekly said he has seen the drugs flow into Highlands Ranch and Ken Caryl neighborhoods and warned parents to be aware of what their children are doing on social media. Officials said kids are buying drugs with emojis and text messages and they can do it anonymously.

“No one is immune,” Weekly said.

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Besser said a lot of drugs pass through Denver because of its central location, but he stressed that not everything is gloom and doom.

“I called this press conference because, behind the scenes, there is aggressive and tenacious police work and prosecution being done to save lives and bring justice,” Besser said. “We are not asleep at the wheel.”