DEA Special Agent Derrick Ress Warns of Carfentanil Threat as Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team Battles Meth Seizures

# DEA Special Agent Derrick Ress Warns of Carfentanil Threat as Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team Battles Meth Seizures

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — For the fourth year in a row, drug overdose deaths in Michigan are on track to decline, but a new deadly threat is emerging from cartel trafficking that law enforcement officials warn could reverse those gains.

"That's 600 million potential deadly doses," DEA Special Agent Derrick Ress of Grand Rapids said. "Enough to wipe out the entire population of North America."

Ress made the startling statement while discussing a record seizure of carfentanil that passed through Kalamazoo last year. Federal agents intercepted 12.4 kilograms of the synthetic opioid on a truck traveling from Mexico to Detroit, according to DEA officials.

The carfentanil seizure was traced to the Sinaloa cartel, with origins in Mexico and distribution routed through California. DEA officials say the shipment was the largest drug seizure ever recorded in Michigan and the fourth largest seizure ever recorded worldwide.

Meth Seizures on the Rise

While DEA agents fight carfentanil, local law enforcement is seeing a resurgence of methamphetamine that dealers know is highly addictive.

"We are seizing meth almost daily at this point," Mike Ferguson, captain of Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), told News Channel 3.

In 2025 alone, KVET seized 38.5 pounds of meth. Ferguson says dealers use meth to keep customers hooked because the drug forces people to call them daily.

"If they have somebody hooked on the drug and that person is constantly calling them daily, they're making more money, right?" Ferguson said.

KVET works closely with the DEA and USPS postal inspectors to monitor packages coming through the mail to detect drugs and trace them back to traffickers.

"They come up with all sorts of imaginative ways to hide and conceal the meth in these parcels," Ress said. "Silly things like peanut cans where they'll dump the peanut contents out and stuff methamphetamine and then reseal and put it in that way."

Carfentanil: 100 Times More Deadly Than Fentanyl

Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid 100 times more powerful than fentanyl itself. Originally designed for use on large animals such as elephants, the drug has been found increasingly in counterfeit prescription pills and mixed into other illicit substances.

"Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the tip of a pencil, is a deadly dose," Special Agent Ress said. "With carfentanil, it only takes a microgram. That's less than a grain of salt."

DEA officials say carfentanil has been found in drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and especially heroin, which increases the risk of an unintentional overdose.

Ghost Luggage and Cartel Tactics

The ease of access online even outside the dark web contributes to the rise in overdoses. Pills can be ordered from overseas and shipped directly to users without a prescription.

One case involved "ghost luggage" where suitcases checked in by passengers who never boarded their flight. Four bags sent from Las Vegas to Detroit were found carrying 300,000 fentanyl pills, with unrelated individuals attempting to collect them at baggage claim.

"We're working closely with TSA," said Special Agent Ress. "Their main focus is explosives, but a kilo of fentanyl can become a bomb if it disperses in the air."

Record Seizure: 600 Million Deadly Doses

The carfentanil seizure of 12.4 kilograms represented 600 million potential deadly doses.

"Enough to wipe out the entire population of North America," Ress said.

For those caught trafficking carfentanil, the penalties are severe. In federal court, just possessing the weight threshold can get you a 10-year minimum sentence. State prosecutors in Michigan are just as aggressive.

Progress in Opioid Overdose Reduction

Despite the new threats, officials credit improved public outreach for helping to drive down overdose deaths. Between August 2023 and August 2024, the U.S. saw a 16 percent decrease in fatal overdoses.

"We're seeing a surge in accidental overdoses from pills made to look like oxycodone or morphine," Special Agent Ress said. "People think they're taking a legitimate painkiller, but they're unknowingly ingesting fentanyl or carfentanil."

Officials encourage people to use prescription medications only as directed by a licensed physician and to store them securely at home. Parents are advised to keep pills away from children and teens.

The agency also encourages the public to keep naloxone, also known as Narcan, on hand. While Narcan is effective against fentanyl overdoses, it may not always work on carfentanil due to its extreme potency.

How to Report Drug Activity

Anyone with information about illegal drug activity or dealers can submit an anonymous tip to the DEA, to KVET at 269-337-8880, or the Kalamazoo Silent Observer tip line at 269-343-2100.

Tips can also be submitted through the P3Tips app or online.

Sources:

• https://wwmt.com/news/local/michigan-overdose-deaths-decline-fourth-year-meth-and-cocaine-comeback-drugs-drug-enforcement-administration-michigan-fentanyl
• https://wwmt.com/news/state/dea-warns-deadly-rise-carfentanil-major-seizure-tied-cartel-hits-west-michigan-derrick-ress-tsa-ghost-luggage-drug-enforcement-administration-sinaloa-cartel-painkiller