On Tuesday, federal and territorial officials launched the Fentanyl Free America campaign in the U.S. Virgin Islands, warning that the territory’s location in the Caribbean leaves it vulnerable to what they describe as the nation’s deadliest drug threat.
“Fentanyl remains the most lethal drug threat facing the United States,” said Tony Velazquez, public affairs specialist for the DEA Caribbean Division, citing national figures showing roughly 50,000 deaths last year.
“The U.S. Virgin Islands, due to its strategic location in the Caribbean, faces a unique risk from transnational drug trafficking organizations,” Velazquez said, calling the territory “the gateway to the Caribbean.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael Miranda said the campaign is built around a “multifaceted approach” combining enforcement, education and partnerships. He added that officials have seen encouraging signs.
“We’ve seen a downward trend in fentanyl deaths, but we’re not going to stop until we get to zero. That’s our goal,” Miranda said.
Territorial officials emphasized that enforcement alone will not solve the problem, describing the initiative as a joint effort between law enforcement and education.
Health Department Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said the Virgin Islands Health Department has worked in recent years to play a more active role in addressing drug use alongside law enforcement, particularly through prevention and education.
She said discussions with Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and public safety officials highlighted the need for health agencies to be involved once drugs reach the community, focusing on helping individuals make safer decisions and reducing harm.
She said the Health Department’s behavioral health and emergency medical services divisions have expanded training on the use of Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal medication, for first responders and law enforcement.
Encarnacion said behavioral health teams have conducted outreach to students in junior high and high schools across St. Thomas and St. Croix, with plans to continue territorywide, including St. John. In addition to students, she said, educators are also being trained to help create trusted environments where young people feel comfortable seeking help.
Encarnacion warned that synthetic opioids can cause long-term psychological harm, including psychosis, even after limited use. She said ongoing changes in synthetic drug formulations increase the risk of lasting mental health damage, underscoring the need for early education and prevention.
Drug Intelligence Officer Rodney Querrard said opioid-related overdose deaths have been recorded across all three island districts in recent years. In 2022, he said, there was one confirmed opioid-related death in the St. Thomas–St. John district and none on St. Croix. In 2023, there were four deaths in the St. Thomas–St. John district and two on St. Croix. He said overdose numbers have declined since then, though some toxicology reports are still pending.
Querrard said prevention efforts have focused heavily on schools, with health officials and law enforcement visiting campuses across the territory.
He also highlighted efforts to safely dispose of unused prescription drugs, noting that partners have installed five prescription drug drop boxes across the territory, two on St. Croix, two on St. Thomas and one on St. John, located at post offices. He urged residents not to throw old medications in the trash or to flush them.
“Please do not throw it in the garbage, because it ends up in a water table, or worse, in somebody’s system,” Querrard said.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Evan Martinez said the U.S. Virgin Islands has long been a priority for the DEA, but the threat became more immediate in 2021 when the territory recorded its first known fentanyl overdose.
“Nobody could believe it had happened,” Martinez said, noting that fentanyl had previously been viewed as a problem limited to the mainland United States. Since then, he said, the DEA has worked “hand in hand” with the Virgin Islands Police Department on every overdose and suspected overdose case, as well as investigations involving drugs entering the territory from the mainland.
Those investigations, he said, often extend far beyond the Virgin Islands. “Our investigations with VIPD, with the U.S. Postal Service, HSI and the FBI have taken us to all four corners of the United States,” Martinez said.
Martinez said fentanyl poses a unique danger because many overdose victims are unaware they are consuming it. He described cases in which individuals, including students, believe they are taking prescription stimulants such as Adderall, only to ingest drugs laced with fentanyl. “That’s what separates this from other drugs,” he said. “Most of the time, when people overdose on fentanyl, they don’t realize they’re taking fentanyl.”
Velazquez and other officials stressed that community involvement will be critical to any lasting progress. “Community involvement is essential to this success, the DEA encourages parents, educators, health care professionals, faith leaders and community organizations across the U.S. Virgin Islands to play an active role in prevention and educating others about the dangers of fentanyl,” he said.
