CENTRALIA, WA – Federal and local law enforcement agencies have announced the seizure of more than 50,000 counterfeit pills containing Carfentanil, an extremely potent synthetic opioid considered up to 100 times stronger than fentanyl.

The operation, conducted by the DEA, Centralia Police Department, Federal Way Police Department, and the ATF, marks the first known instance of pills in Washington State containing only Carfentanil with acetaminophen as filler. Agents stress the danger, noting that even a microscopic amount of Carfentanil can be fatal.

“Carfentanil is not designed for human consumption. It was made to tranquilize elephants in a veterinary setting. So, it’s an elephant tranquilizer,” explained DEA Special Agent in Charge Dave Reames.

The pills were designed to mimic fentanyl-laced ‘M30 Blues’, commonly seen on the streets. “These pills looked exactly the same as the blue M30s that you typically see with fentanyl. In fact, when we seized them, we thought it was fentanyl. We only found out that it was Carfentanil when we sent it to the lab—because even trained DEA agents couldn’t tell the difference,” said Reames.

The suspect, Nathanial Washington, was arrested last Tuesday at a gas station in Centralia. He now faces federal charges. Authorities caution, however, that additional traffickers may attempt to distribute similar pills in the region.

Carfentanil has occasionally been mixed with other drugs in the past to increase potency, but officials emphasize this is the first time it has been seen here as the sole active ingredient in pill form.

According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, Carfentanil was linked to six overdose deaths in 2024 and four so far in 2025. Officials warn that without this seizure, those numbers could have risen dramatically.

Reames added a warning regarding overdose treatment: “Narcan would work on this opiate, but it’s so potent, so powerful, so deadly, it might take more than one dose, might take multiple doses, might take more doses than someone would have.”