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The Trump administration unveiled its “Fentanyl Free America” anti-drug trafficking plan on Wednesday, with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Director Terry Cole telling Fox News that strikes on suspected drug ships in the Caribbean help stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.
“There is no doubt that these traffickers, these foreign terrorists, are designed to target our children,” Cole said. “They’re using social media platforms. They’re using Instagram.”
“We’ve seen a change in first leg tonnage, meaning that when the cocaine gets to the Dominican Republic, it’s now more expensive. When the cocaine gets to Puerto Rico, it’s more expensive,” Cole said of the US military’s strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea.
Cole said young children in schools across the United States will learn about fentanyl and parents will be provided with more resources to talk to children.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed that the United States carried out a lethal strike on a ship operated by alleged drug terrorists in the Caribbean Sea on October 24, 2025. (war department)
Cole also said a motorcycle gang is financing the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States
“The Hells Angels control a significant portion of drug trafficking in Canada that comes across our northern border into the United States,” Cole told Fox News.
The DEA said Wednesday that the “Fentanyl-Free America” initiative is “a comprehensive enforcement initiative and public awareness campaign aimed at reducing the supply of and demand for fentanyl.”
“This effort underscores DEA’s steadfast commitment to protecting American lives and American communities from the devastating effects of fentanyl, which claimed nearly 50,000 lives last year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” she said in a statement.
“Through heightened law enforcement operations and increased intelligence, the DEA is exerting unprecedented pressure on the global fentanyl supply chain, forcing narco-terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG Cartel, to change their business practices,” the agency said. “This has led to encouraging signs of progress. DEA laboratory testing indicates that 29% of fentanyl pills analyzed during FY 2025 contained a potentially lethal dose, a significant decrease from 76% of pills tested just two years ago in FY 2023.”
“In addition, the purity of fentanyl powder decreased to 10.3%, down from 19.5% during the same time period. These reductions in potency and purity are associated with a decline in synthetic opioid deaths to levels not seen since April 2020,” she continued.
Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Political Affairs, from left, Terry Cole, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Pam Bondi, US Attorney General, and Vice President J.D. Vance, during the signing of an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The DEA also said: “As of December 1, 2025, DEA has seized more than 45 million fentanyl pills, and more than 9,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, removing an estimated 347 million lethal doses of fentanyl from our communities.” “DEA intelligence indicates a shift in cartel operations, with increased trafficking in fentanyl powder and domestic production of fentanyl pills. The seizure of more than two dozen pill-pressing machines in October further highlights this trend.”
“The Fentanyl Free America Campaign also emphasizes the importance of public engagement,” the DEA said. “DEA encourages everyone from community leaders, clergy, teachers, parents, doctors, pharmacists, and law enforcement officials to take an active role in raising awareness by protecting others through education; preventing fentanyl overdoses by understanding the risks; and supporting those affected.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.