Marijuana and methamphetamine were the top two drugs seized by Drug Enforcement Administration investigators in its multistate Omaha Division in 2020, the federal agency said Tuesday.
Federal law enforcement agents said methamphetamine seizures jumped 68% in 2020, while marijuana seizures were more than six times higher than what was found in 2019.
Last year, DEA agents in the Omaha Division seized 421 pounds of methamphetamine and 4,644 pounds of marijuana. The drugs had a combined street value of $13.3 million, the DEA said.
The DEA also took just over 5.5 pounds of fentanyl off the streets in the region. That is the equivalent of 1.5 million lethal doses.
The DEA Omaha Division is a five-state territory that includes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. It also includes counties along the western borders of Illinois and Wisconsin.
The Nebraska State Patrol reported seizing 10.7 pounds of fentanyl and 7,546 doses of opioids in 2020. Troopers also confiscated 165 pounds of meth, a decline from 2019, when the agency reported finding 230 pounds.
The patrol seized 4,989 pounds of marijuana in 2020. That is down from the 5,442 pounds seized in 2019 and 8,281 pounds in 2018.
Fentanyl is up to 100 times more potent than morphine, the DEA said. A lethal dose of fentanyl is 2 milligrams, or the equivalent of a few grains of salt.
Justin King
We want to make people aware of the fact that pills purchased off of the street should be considered incredibly dangerous and potentially lethal,” said DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King. “The makers of counterfeit pills are not careful or precise in their measurements. One pill may have 1 milligram of fentanyl, while another from the same batch may have 3 milligrams, or enough to kill a person.”
Our best Omaha staff photos of February 2021
Kearney's Richard Harbols dives in the boys Nebraska state dive competition on Thursday.
Lincoln Southeast's Katerina Hoffman competes in the NSAA state diving championship on Thursday.
North Platte's Jonathan Brouillette is reflected in the swimming pool as he competes in the NSAA boys state diving championship on Thursday.
An ice jam forms on the Platte River west of the Highway 77 bridge near Fremont on Monday. Observers in eastern Nebraska will be looking out for signs of flooding as the weather warms up. “We’re just waiting to see how the snow will melt over the next couple of days,” said hydrologist David Pearson of the National Weather Service office in Valley. “We’ll be watching closely.”
Omaha Skutt's Adam Kruse, left, and Gothenberg's Abe Mendez, right, wrestle during a Class B 138 pound match.
Millard South's Joel Adams celebrates after defeating North Platte's Darian Diaz during the Class A 138 pound championship match.
A few snowflakes fell in Omaha on Wednesday.
Creighton's Greg McDermott congratulates Denzel Mahoney on a made 3-pointer against Villanova.
Gretna's John Weed, facing, and Millard South's Antrell Taylor compete in the first round of the 160 pound, Class A state wrestling tournament in Omaha on Wednesday.
Frost collects on a sheet of ice in a parking lot in South Omaha on Tuesday. Omaha set a record low on Tuesday, dipping to 23 degrees below zero.
PJ Smith, an administrator at Grand Island Northwest, helps set up mats on Tuesday for the state wrestling tournament at the CHI Health Center. The tournament starts today and runs through Saturday. Read more in Sports.
Dr. Michael Howard listens to the heart of Bella, a Boston terrier puppy at Best Care Pet Hospital In Omaha on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Bella was anesthetized before power was cut to the south Omaha neighborhood where they are located because of extreme temperatures in the region. Omaha's low Dr. Howard was prepping to spay Bella by window light before the power did come back on. They had performed one surgery with no power already that morning.
Neymar walks around in a sweater after a power outage at Best Care Pet Hospital at 3030 L Street on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Extreme temperatures forces rolling blackouts in the area.
Sunlight filters through the steam as cars head east on Leavenworth Street towards 16th Street as the low in the area was close to 20 degrees below zero on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.
Steam rises out of the Missouri River around the Interstate 480 bridge as viewed from Tom Hanafan River's Edge Park in Council Bluffs early Tuesday, Feb. 16. Lows in the Omaha metro area were around 23 degrees below zero. The steam caused icy roads and the temporary closure of the bridge.
Owner Gary Wrenn moves catfish filets from the cornmeal dredge to the fryers at Cajun Kitchen on 30th and Maple Streets in Omaha on Monday.
Firefighters work to put out a fire in an apartment building at 10th and William Street in Omaha on Monday.
Omaha's Matt Miller (27) moves behind the net, near Colorado College's Matthew Gleason (15), Brian Hawkinson (29) and Matt Vernon (30) in the Colorado College vs. Omaha hockey game at the Baxter Arena in Omaha on Friday. The Mavericks won the game 7-1.
Erin Gramke gives Sigurd Sorenson his second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the VA Medical Center in Omaha on Thursday. Sorenson, 84, served in the Army.
Rev. Ralph Lassiter sits inside Kohl's Pharmacy during the observation period after his second COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday. Rev. Lassiter wants to set a good example for his community by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and stressing its' safety.
The Bellevue West bench celebrates a three-pointer in the Waukee vs. Bellevue West boys basketball game on Tuesday. Bellevue West won the game 74-60.
Hand-painted bonbons for a Valentine's Day special are flavored with, from left, raspberry, passion fruit, vanilla bean salted caramel and milk chocolate, from Sugar Makery BitterSweet in Council Bluffs.
A Gibson Les Paul is one of more than 70 guitars in the exhibit.
A crane lifts a small plane that had its landing gear collapse while landing at Eppley Airfield on Friday. Two people were on board the plane; neither was injured.
Creighton's Damien Jefferson is called for a foul against Georgetown's Jamorko Pickett at CHI HealthCenter on Wednesday, February 03, 2021.
Avante Dickerson talks to members of the media after he announced he was signing to play football at the University of Oregon at Omaha Westside High School on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.
Rime ice forms on the trees at the Chalco Hills Recreation Area on Tuesday, February 02, 2021.
Two people jog around Prairie Queen Recreation Area as a freezing fog covers the region on Tuesday, February 02, 2021.
Frost hangs onto a fence in Omaha on Tuesday, February 02, 2021.
402-444-1272
Kevin Cole
Kevin Cole covers Omaha crime and public safety news. Follow him on Twitter @KevinColeOmaha. Phone: 402-444-1272.
