DEA: New nitazene opioid 100 times stronger than fentanyl seized in Long Island raid
Agents found pills laced with a previously unseen nitazene compound in a Hicksville home; officials warn the highly potent synthetic could already be in circulation
Federal agents in New York seized a previously unseen form of nitazene — a synthetic opioid laboratory-tested at about 100 times the potency of fentanyl — during an early August narcotics raid on Long Island, the Drug Enforcement Administration said.
The compound, discovered in counterfeit oxycodone "M30"-style pills removed from a Hicksville residence on Aug. 5, was confirmed by the DEA’s Northeast Regional Laboratory, officials said. The agency warned the new nitazene, which it said has been linked to overdoses elsewhere and is believed to be less responsive to naloxone, may already be appearing on U.S. streets.
Authorities arrested 34-year-old Anthony Gianatiempo of Hicksville during the raid. He was arraigned Aug. 6 in First District Court in Hempstead on multiple narcotics, weapons and explosives charges, pleaded not guilty and has been held without bail, prosecutors said.
Along with the nitazene-laced pills, agents and Nassau County detectives seized a wide array of drugs and weapons, the DEA said. Those items included 59 fentanyl pills, 47 pressed methamphetamine tablets, 10 glass vials of liquid fentanyl, roughly 750 grams of fentanyl powder, about 190 grams of cocaine and approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators also found suspected explosives and a large quantity of smokeless gunpowder inside the home.
"It’s alarming. We haven’t come across this compound anywhere in the entire Northeast," Special Agent Frank Tarentino said in a statement. Tarentino said the nitazene discovered in the raid was tested and confirmed to be about 100 times stronger than fentanyl. "This is laboratory confirmed," he added.
Officials said they believe the drugs were supplied to the area by transnational criminal networks. Tarentino said investigators suspect either Mexican cartels such as the Sinaloa or Jalisco New Generation organizations trafficked the pills into the region, or the pills were pressed locally using raw powder exported to the United States by Chinese criminal enterprises.
Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids that have appeared in recent years and been linked to fatal overdoses in multiple U.S. jurisdictions. Law enforcement and public health officials have repeatedly warned that these compounds can be highly potent, and certain nitazene analogs have shown reduced responsiveness to standard doses of naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug, in some reports.
The DEA said the discovery marks the first confirmed detection of this specific nitazene compound in the Northeast. The agency urged health care providers, first responders and community organizations to be aware of the heightened potency and to exercise caution when treating suspected overdoses.
"This didn’t just magically appear in a Hicksville home — it was trafficked here by criminal networks," Tarentino said, stressing the transnational element of the narcotics trade.
Public health officials and harm-reduction advocates have increasingly warned that the evolving composition of illicit pills — often marketed to resemble prescription opioids or stimulants — raises the risk of unintentional overdose among users who may be unaware of their contents. The DEA and local law enforcement agencies said they will continue investigative and forensic work to track the origin and distribution of the compound.
Gianatiempo remained in custody pending further court proceedings. Investigators did not immediately provide information on any link between the seized nitazene pills and specific local overdoses. The DEA encouraged anyone with information about trafficking or distribution of the compound to contact federal or local law enforcement.