‘Devastating’ Grip of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Drugs Claims the Lives of Teens, Adults… and Even Toddlers
Children younger than five, particularly infants and toddlers, are increasingly at risk for accidental exposure to fentanyl. With increased exposure in the home in many cases, deaths across the United States are on the rise.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to Derek Maltz, a former head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division. In May, Maltz also stepped down as Acting Administrator of the DEA.
On August 18, Maltz posted on X:
Decimating the Mexican “Terror” Cartels ability to operate with all tools of national power should be a top priority to ensure the security of America, but WE ALSO NEED TO EDUCATE EVERY YOUNG AMERICAN ON THE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES OF THE ONGOING CHEMICAL ATTACK USING SYNTHETIC… pic.twitter.com/hzk6RJf00R
— Derek Maltz Sr (@derekmaltz_sr) August 18, 2025
After a career spanning over two decades and recently serving as the DEA’s Acting Administrator, it is very clear Maltz remains committed to educating the public and raising awareness about the risks associated with many harmful substances, especially fentanyl and other deadly synthetic opioids.
Fentanyl poisonings are “not just a drug addiction issue,” Maltz pointed out. “American kids are being deceived to death. They are turning to drugs for help [with anxiety or depression, for example], but the illicit drug supply is tainted.”
The deaths are not limited to teenagers or adults who are illegally using fentanyl. “Infants are dying at record levels, and they’re deaths show that this doesn’t just affect those with a substance use disorder or opioid use disorder,” he explained.
“All of this is an attack on our future generations, so the United States has to up its game in the fight [to save not only the addicts, but also the innocent],” said Maltz. “There are so many kids inadvertently getting in contact with these deadly substances, and then they’re putting their hands in their mouth and they’re dying,” he lamented.
“Parents or loved ones are reluctant to talk about it because it’s devastating,” he shared. However, an increasing number of individuals are publicly posting pictures of the innocent lives that were taken from babies and toddlers. Here’s a very small collection of heart wrenching examples:
Image: Courtesy of Drug Epidemic Memorial, Use Permitted by Derek Maltz
Below is a collage of 700 teenagers, only scratching the surface of the lives lost.
Maltz credits Drug Epidemic Memorial, also on Facebook, for an “exceptional job” raising awareness about the number of lives lost to fentanyl poisoning and more.
While education and awareness remain top priorities for Maltz, he said the United States government also has to keep pressure on Mexican cartels and the Chinese regime. “Decimating the cartels is absolutely critical,” the former head of the Special Operations Division at the DEA emphasized.
“I appreciate the cooperation and collaboration with the Mexican president and the government of Mexico,” shared the former DEA Acting Administrator. “We’re seeing record amounts of seizures and arrests made in country and the removal operations of additional high-level subjects that were sent to America, [and] the Mexican government is helping in ways we’ve never seen before.”
“Over the last several months, there’s been a total reduction of fentanyl seizures, which is indicative to me that the production of fentanyl has gone down in Mexico.” According to him, “The cartels are starting to get the message that the President of the United States is not going to tolerate people killing our kids at record levels.”
“In the last 20 years, I’ve never seen leadership at the top mandating a whole government approach,” Maltz admitted. “While this is something I tried to push for during my years at SOD, the country has never seen it until President [Donald] Trump and members of the administration united all enforcing agencies.”
During this administration, he said, “we will have law enforcement cooperate fully with the intelligence community, and we’ll have Department of Defense integrated into operations so we can do what’s in the best interest of the United States.”
The United States simply cannot let its guard down, the former DEA exec contended. “Chemicals like Protonitazene and Metonitazene (synthetic opioids) are coming in to be combined with other drugs—and they’re deadly.”
Other concerns include the popularity of Carfentanil, a potent synthetic opioid stronger than fentanyl, as well as the illicit supply of Xylazine (“zombie drug”) from laboratories in China. “The other thing that’s super concerning is the marijuana grow operations led by the Chinese nationals that are in our country, [as] they’re spraying the crops with pesticides and along with the high THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) levels, causing some major issues in the brains of our citizens.”
“We have to continue educating Americans, raising awareness for all ages, and keep removing the cartels, traffickers, and poisons from our country,” Maltz concluded.
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