Selected seizures from the U.S. Southwest border were submitted to CFSRE for qualitative and quantitative testing. This snapshot highlights an atypical cluster of counterfeit “M30” tablets and powders containing carfentanil, an ultra-potent synthetic opioid, sometimes present without fentanyl. Findings underscore escalating variability in the illicit supply and the need for heightened clinical, laboratory, and public-safety preparedness.
In collaboration with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Colombo Plan Drug Assistance Program (DAP) established its SENTINEL program under which seized tablets and powders suspected of containing fentanyl are analyzed at CFSRE using a surveillance and profiling workflow that includes microscopic imaging, GC/MS, LC-QTOF-MS for qualitative identification, and LC-MS/MS for quantitative analysis.
Starting in May 2025 individual exhibits of both powders and tablets began testing positive for carfentanil. The tablets seized are typically counterfeit “M30” oxycodone tablets, blue in color and monogramed “M” in a square on one side and “30” on the other, with an approximate diameter of 6.55 mm. A total of 7 tablets were tested in each case.
April 23, 2026
Emerging Synthetic Opioid Threats: Carfentanil in Counterfeit Tablets and Powders in the United States
