DEA Warns Families About Drug Dealers Preying on Social Media

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Omaha Division is asking parents to talk with children about threats posed by drug dealers on social media and the negative impact of drug use, the agency said in a Sept. 4 statement.

“Families should be engaging in conversations about counterfeit pills, fentanyl, and social media threats more than just once a year,” said DEA Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei.

“Let your youngsters know that they can talk with you about what they’re seeing at school or what they’ve been asked to try. We must continue these conversations throughout the year to remind our loved ones of the deadly threat these substances pose.”

Most first-time drug usage by children comes from peer pressure, as part of experimentation, and as a form of rebelling against parents, studies show. Many online actors want to exploit vulnerable young people.

The warning was made as DEA agents from Minnesota removed almost 3 million fentanyl doses from the state in just the first seven months of 2025. Over 100 pounds of cocaine have been seized during this period, while methamphetamine seizures have doubled.

The DEA highlighted that social media plays a significant role in the lives of children and drug dealers take advantage of this demographic.

It recommended parents and caregivers to stress the dangers involved in buying pills online, pointing out that the DEA has seized fentanyl pills resembling prescription medications such as Oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall.

“Never trust your eyes to determine if a pill is legitimate or counterfeit. The only safe medications are prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist,” the agency said.

Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid.

“It only takes a very small dose of fentanyl—two milligrams—to be lethal, such as the amount found on the tip of a pencil,” a November 2024 DEA document states. “Fentanyl is 50x more potent than heroin.”

Lab tests conducted by the agency have found that out of every 10 fake pills containing fentanyl, five carry a potentially fatal dose.

Criminal groups such as the Sinaloa cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion are making fentanyl, pressing it into fake pills that contain no legitimate medicine, the DEA said. Fentanyl is also made to look like candies of various colors.

A January 2022 document by the DEA warned that criminal groups have turned smartphones into a “one-stop shop” for drugs.

“Drug traffickers advertise on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. These advertisements are in disappearing, 24-hour stories and in posts, which are promptly posted and removed,” it said.

When social media users, who are exposed to these ads, get in touch with traffickers, the conversation is shifted to encrypted communication apps like Signal and Telegram, where deals are arranged, said the document.

“Social media drug trafficking impacts all age groups, but adolescents and young adults are particularly susceptible given their high-rates of social media usage,” it added.

Drug Trade and Children

In a July 15 statement, the Department of Justice revealed that under the Trump administration, the DEA has seized roughly 44 million fentanyl pills, 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, over 201,500 pounds of cocaine, and almost 65,000 pounds of meth.

More than 2,105 fentanyl-related arrests have also been made, it added.

“DEA is hitting the cartels where it hurts—with arrests, with seizures, and with relentless pressure. From meth labs in California to fentanyl pills disguised as pharmaceuticals seized at our border, these operations are saving American lives every single day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy.

“We are not slowing down. We are dismantling these networks piece by piece—and we won’t stop until the last brick of their empire falls.”

A DEA document advises parents that middle school is a “great time” to begin talking about drugs and alcohol with children.

“At this age, young teens start to care more about how they look. Find ways to help boost their confidence and manage stress and talk about how drugs can harm them,” it said.

The agency asked parents to get to know their children’s friends because friend groups have a considerable influence at this age.

It also asked parents to let the children’s friends know about their rules regarding underage drinking, smoking, and drug use.

Discuss with children what to do if they see alcohol or drugs at a party, the DEA advised. “Work with them to come up with phrases they could say if someone offered alcohol or other drugs to them, such as ‘No thanks, it’s not my thing,’” the document said.

“Tell your children often that you will come get them any time if they need to leave a place where alcohol or other drugs are being used—even if it’s the middle of the night. You can also decide on a ‘code word’ they can text you if they need your help and calling is not an option,” the agency said.