15,000 rainbow fentanyl pills, 10 pounds of meth seized in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - Narcotics detectives made a significant drug bust in Orange County.

According to the sheriff's department, investigators served search warrants at two locations in North Orange County where they seized two kilograms of fentanyl powder, 10 pounds of methamphetamine, and 15,000 multi-colored fentanyl pills – commonly known as "rainbow fentanyl."

The sheriff's department says this is the first time they have encountered rainbow fentanyl in their jurisdiction.

Officials say the new candy-colored pills attract young adults and kids.

"Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults," said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

According to the DEA, the rainbow colors could lead children to mistake them for candy and make them more appealing to young people. It takes much less for someone, including children, to overdose or die.

Fentanyl is the one of the deadliest drugs. According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.