В Рэпид-Сити предупреждают о росте распространения чистого фентанила и переходе дилеров на цифровые платформы

Rapid City Narcotics Officers Warn of Rising Fentanyl Powder and High-Tech Trafficking Trends RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - While pressed pills historically dominated the local illicit drug market, Rapid City is seeing a quiet but steady rise in pure fentanyl powder, aligning with broader national trends. The Omaha Field Division of the DEA recently reported an 80% surge in fentanyl powder seizures relative to pills, a shift that is being felt locally according to Sgt. Trevor Tollman of the Rapid City Police Department, currently assigned to the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). “We have been seeing an increase in the fentanyl powder recently,” Tollman said. “Not that it’s overtaking the pills, but it is increasing.” This transition poses extreme risks to the public and first responders alike. Because pure fentanyl powder is a fine, white substance, it is nearly impossible to visually distinguish from everyday kitchen staples. “It is a fine powder that could look like baking soda. It could look like flour,” Tollman warned. “There’s not something real distinct about it. Our advice is to not handle it if you think it is something suspicious.” Unlike stimulants, those under the influence of fentanyl generally present as lethargic, tired, and sleepy. While overdose deaths initially spiked when fentanyl first entered the region in the form of counterfeit “blue pills,” Tollman noted that local fatalities have slowed in recent months. He attributes this drop in part to the widespread availability and use of the overdose-reversal drug Narcan. Narcotics officers say the bulk of the local supply originates in Mexico, moving north through major transit hubs like Denver before being distributed to local middle-tier suppliers. To conduct transactions and traffic supply, dealers have increasingly abandoned traditional cash transactions in favor of peer-to-peer payment applications and online communication tools. As law enforcement adapts to monitor certain platforms, suppliers quickly shift to others, creating a constantly evolving technological chase. While youth-focused investigations a few years ago revealed drug trafficking on chat platforms, Tollman noted that UNET’s primary operations currently focus on adult trafficking networks. To combat the normalization of open-air drug markets seen in larger metropolitan areas, local law enforcement works continuously with regional and federal task forces to disrupt transit routes before they reach city limits. “I, for one, am thankful that we live in a community where [drug use] is not normalized,” Tollman said. “The role that we have is to ensure that we can work to identify the folks who are bringing this stuff into our community so we can head them off and interrupt that supply chain.” As digital platforms remain a primary battleground for drug distribution, Tollman advises parents to maintain active involvement in their children’s online lives. “Kids are constantly learning. They’re easily influenced,” Tollman said. “The people who are targeting these kids to take advantage of them are going to go to the places where the kids are at and where the parents aren’t at. Be present, be aware, and know what your kids are doing.” See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it. Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description. Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.