Pa. AG announces fentanyl seizures

McKeesport police officers were invited to be part of Dave Sunday’s press conference.

By MEGAN TROTTER
TribLive

Law enforcement teams have seized 50 million doses of fentanyl from drug traffickers and users across Pennsylvania this year. Of that, nearly 18 million of the doses were found in Western Pennsylvania, they said.

On Monday, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday provided an update on the seizures at a news conference in the Strip District.

“Fentanyl has become a dealer’s mainline product because it’s accessible, it’s cheap and it provides the desired effect to consumers,” Sunday said. “Those consumers, as we all know, are people with families, people with identities, and they are people dealing with addiction, dealing with substance abuse disorder.”

Alongside Sunday during the news conference stood a number of officers representing local departments from Allegheny County, McKees Rocks, Stowe Township, McKeesport, Monroeville and Robinson Township.

Law enforcement has seized more than 100,000 grams which is equivalent to 220 pounds of fentanyl in addition to more than 76,000 fentanyl pills since the start of 2025 through September, Sunday said. Sunday said the price of fentanyl is decreasing. Today, one ounce costs roughly $200 and one once equals more than 14,000 doses of fentanyl, he said.

The fentanyl comes in a variety of different forms including powder and pill form, which are made with a pill press machine and then distributed, he said.

Sunday pointed to several successful drug busts this year.

In January, Ismail Hamlin of Clairton was charged with drug trafficking. During the investigation, officers said they found Hamlin in possession of 478 bricks of fentanyl, which is equal to nearly 24,000 doses stamped for street sales.

In April, police charged Shakeirs Foster of Aliquippa in a case that resulted in the overdose death of an underage girl.

In May, a multi-agency operation seized $6 million worth of fentanyl that was to be transported from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. In that case, 14 people were arrested after being accused of trafficking pressed fentanyl pills and cocaine in Beaver, Allegheny and Washington counties.

In August, more than 412,000 doses of fentanyl were seized between Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said small amounts of fentanyl can be deadly.

“Fentanyl is a whole different ball game,” he said. “It doesn’t take a lot, and people die from it.”