The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) observed National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day by highlighting successful fentanyl seizures and arrests made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). These efforts, conducted under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, aim to disrupt drug trafficking and smuggling operations across the nation.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin expressed gratitude to DHS personnel, stating, "On this National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, I want to thank the brave men and women of DHS who work so hard to hunt down fentanyl traffickers and smugglers, get them out of our communities, and get their poison off of our streets." He added that President Trump's leadership is "bringing the hammer down on drug traffickers and smugglers, putting them out of business and behind bars." HSI Executive Associate Director John Condon affirmed HSI's dedication, saying, "Their dedication, skill, and courage are putting dangerous drug dealers behind bars while saving American lives."
Recent HSI operations have yielded substantial results. In August 2026, a joint Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) in Des Moines, Iowa, seized approximately 76.14 pounds of methamphetamine and 1 kilogram of fentanyl, along with $1,371,980 in narcotics proceeds, following a buy/bust operation in California. That same month, Austin Kerns was sentenced to twelve years in prison in Fresno for fentanyl distribution linked to a fatal overdose.
Further significant actions in July 2026 included the HSI Indianapolis HSTF arresting two U.S. citizens and seizing five kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and weapons. In Newark, New Jersey, HSI Newark HSTF operations led to the seizure of 16 kilograms of fentanyl, over one kilogram of fentanyl-laced heroin, and 900 grams of cocaine, resulting in charges against two individuals with affiliations to the Trinitarios gang. June 2026 saw the seizure of 14 kilograms of fentanyl in Fairfield, New Jersey, traced back to the Mexico and California border region.
Additionally, in June 2026, Francisco Alberto Lopez Reyes and Edward Eustate Jimenez were convicted in New York for manufacturing and distributing counterfeit fentanyl pills through fake online pharmacies, with their scheme resulting in death. An April 2026 search in Brooklyn uncovered a "Pill Mill" manufacturing fentanyl, leading to two arrests and the seizure of industrial pill-press machines and firearms. From 2025 through 2026, HSI New Jersey HSTF investigations into a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization resulted in the seizure of 53 kilograms of narcotics, including fentanyl pills, and identified a nationwide distribution network responsible for over 2,200 kilograms of narcotics.
ICE also reported numerous arrests of individuals with fentanyl-related criminal histories, including Heriberto Hernandez-Sosa, Walter Perez-Perello, Orlando Eugenio Parada-Mancia, and others, across various states from August 2026 back to October 2025. These arrests underscore the ongoing commitment of DHS and its partners to combat the fentanyl crisis and protect American communities.