For most Wyoming drivers, Interstate 25 is simply the highway connecting Cheyenne, Casper and Sheridan. But federal drug agents say it's also one of the primary corridors used by Mexican cartels to move fentanyl and other illegal drugs north through the Rocky Mountain region.
Speaking Monday in Cheyenne, U.S. Attorney Darin Smith and Drug Enforcement Administration officials said I-25 remains a key transportation route for cartel-connected trafficking organizations moving fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin through Wyoming.
The announcement came as authorities revealed they've already seized nearly 6,000 fentanyl pills in Wyoming this year, surpassing the roughly 5,500 confiscated during all of 2025.
"Interstate 25 that runs through the state remains a key transportation route for cartel-led smuggling," DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge David Olesky said.
Supply Chain
The federal warning echoes what Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Commander Ryan Cox told Cowboy State Daily last month.
According to Cox, most illegal drugs sold in Wyoming don't originate in the Cowboy State. Instead, traffickers typically obtain them from distribution hubs in the Denver metropolitan area or, for much of southwest Wyoming, the Salt Lake City area, before transporting them back into Wyoming for sale.
Those supply routes help explain why drug trends emerging in neighboring states often make their way into Wyoming.
When the DEA announced in June that fentanyl-laced heroin had surfaced in Colorado and Utah, Cox said it was reasonable to expect the dangerous combination could eventually reach Wyoming because traffickers rely on those same established distribution networks.
Federal officials said nearly all illicit fentanyl entering the United States is manufactured by Mexico's Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels using precursor chemicals shipped from China before being trafficked north through established smuggling corridors that ultimately reach states like Wyoming.
Overdoses Down
Even as law enforcement says more fentanyl is moving through Wyoming, overdose deaths are trending in the opposite direction.
According to federal officials, Wyoming recorded 54 opioid-involved fentanyl overdose deaths last year, down from 84 the previous year — a decline of about 35%.
Olesky said the encouraging trend doesn't mean residents can afford to let their guard down.
DEA laboratory testing now shows roughly three out of every 10 counterfeit pills seized nationwide contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. While that's down from about seven out of every 10 pills in previous years, Olesky emphasized that a single counterfeit pill can still be fatal.
"My number one advice to all is: don't take a pill that doesn't come directly from a licensed pharmacy and based on a prescription from your doctor," he said.
'We're Coming For You'
Smith said Operation Take Back America has strengthened cooperation among local, state and federal agencies to identify and prosecute drug traffickers operating in Wyoming.
Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak said deputies have made 186 drug-related arrests so far this year and credited partnerships with the DEA, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and local agencies for helping reduce property crime while connecting people struggling with addiction to treatment programs when they're willing to seek help.
Smith said whether traffickers are using Wyoming's highways, the mail or stash houses to distribute narcotics, federal prosecutors intend to use every available resource to hold them accountable.
"If you are trafficking narcotics here, or in this region for that matter, you'll be hunted down, you will be prosecuted, and you will serve your federal time," Smith said.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
