Colorado authorities find 1.7M counterfeit fentanyl pills in auctioned-off storage unit: ‘Shocking discovery’

Authorities successful Colorado announced the "shocking discovery" of 1.7 cardinal counterfeit fentanyl pills successful an auctioned-off retention portion — the largest cause bust of its benignant successful authorities history.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said the record-breaking seizure happened connected Nov. 11 successful the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch aft the winning bidder opened up the unit, "found aggregate items that appeared to beryllium amerciable narcotics" and "immediately notified" deputies.

"This played retired similar an occurrence of a TV show, wherever a winning bidder legally bought a retention portion and unbeknownst to them, the portion contained 1.7 cardinal counterfeit fentanyl pills and different 12 kilograms of fentanyl powder," Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent successful Charge David Oleskysaid successful a statement. "There is nary uncertainty galore lives person been saved by keeping these poison pills disconnected the streets of Colorado."

The DEA added that, "This is the largest one-time seizure of counterfeit pills successful Colorado history, and the sixth-largest, azygous seizure of suspected fentanyl pills successful United States history."

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The Douglas County Sheriff's Office released assemblage camera footage showing deputies making the monolithic cause find connected Nov. 11, 2025, successful Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Douglas County Sheriff's Office)

Body camera footage released by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office showed deputies lifting the lid of a retention instrumentality to uncover the drugs.

"That is an implicit metric s--- ton of fentanyl," 1 of the deputies said. "I got a precise unsocial concern here."

Following testing, the sheriff’s bureau confirmed that deputies recovered 198 kilograms of counterfeit fentanyl pills, 12 kilograms of fentanyl pulverization and 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine.

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said, "This is the largest one-time seizure of counterfeit pills successful Colorado history, and the sixth-largest, azygous seizure of suspected fentanyl pills successful United States history." (Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA))

"I privation to convey the national who reported this discovery, the retention installation unit for their cooperation, and the deputies who responded rapidly and professionally," Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said. "Let maine nonstop a beardown and unmistakable message: fentanyl and amerciable narcotics volition not beryllium tolerated successful Douglas County. Our deputies, detectives, and transgression laboratory professionals are committed to keeping this assemblage safe, and we volition stay relentless successful that mission."

The sheriff’s office, which called the find a "shocking discovery," besides said, "The archetypal proprietor of the retention portion had been taken into custody by the DEA successful April, which resulted successful the portion going unpaid and yet being auctioned off."

A DEA authoritative said pursuing the find that, "There is nary uncertainty galore lives person been saved by keeping these poison pills disconnected the streets of Colorado." (Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA))

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"I privation to convey everyone who helped america with the largest palmy fentanyl seizure successful Colorado history," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said successful a statement. "Getting much of this deadly cause disconnected the streets saves lives. In Colorado, we are cracking down connected crime, apprehending unsafe criminals, and keeping our communities safe. I convey the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and our national partners for moving with america to get criminals disconnected of Colorado streets, retired of our communities, and guarantee Coloradans and families are safe."