908 Devices Inc.

07/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/09/2025 06:27

Operation FREE: Working Together to Combat the Fentanyl Crisis

The fentanyl crisis continues to decimate local communities. Take Virginia, for example: The state experienced a 20x increase in deaths related to fentanyl overdoses since 2013, with 1,951 lives lost in 2022 alone. Since 2020, more Virginians have died from drug overdoses than from motor vehicle and firearms accidents combined, making overdose the state's number one unnatural cause of death.

That is why the commonwealth launched a robust initiative-Operation FREE (Fentanyl Reduction Enforcement Eradication)-to raise awareness, boost training and equip law enforcement with the information and resources needed to stop the trafficking of deadly fentanyl-tainted drugs.

Virginia Executive Order 26: A Bold Step Forward

In 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order 26 to combat the fentanyl crisis in Virginia. Youngkin emphasized a multi-faceted approach to the crisis, highlighting Operation FREE as a collaborative law enforcement partnership between federal, state, and local agencies aimed at disrupting the drug trade.

To date, the initiative has resulted in the seizure of enough fentanyl to potentially kill every Virginian ten times over. Additional efforts include new laws banning pill presses (with 83 seized in 3.0), requiring overdose notifications in schools and establishing felony penalties for drug dealers whose actions result in death. These legislative measures are supported by educational programs like It Only Takes One, led by Virginia's First Lady, Suzanne Youngkin, and public health campaigns under Right Help, Right Now, which have collectively distributed over 400,000 doses of naloxone and trained nearly 100,000 individuals to respond to opioid overdoses.

908 Devices Joins Operation FREE 3.0

908 Devices is proud to support Operation FREE 3.0, a growing multi-agency initiative bringing together more than 175 agencies across 14 states to combat the nationwide crisis of counterfeit pills and fentanyl-laced substances.

This phase of Operation FREE is an important advancement in the war on synthetic drugs. Through strategic partnerships, the program leverages U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) frontline expertise, innovative intelligence capabilities, and significant investigative resources to support more active enforcement. CBP provides actionable intelligence to cooperating agencies in real-time so they can pursue criminal networks, disrupt drug distribution chains and reduce the presence of deadly synthetic drugs on the streets.

Recent data from Operation FREE 3.0 reflects just how substantial the effort has become:

  • Over $291 million in drugs seized, totaling more than 44,000 pounds
  • 70,304 fentanyl-laced pills and 295 pounds of powdered fentanyl confiscated
  • Engagement of 175+ partner agencies
  • 224 handguns, 33 rifles, and 16 shotguns recovered
  • 83 pill presses seized
  • Training of more than 121,000 individuals and over 1.8 million community outreach engagements

Operation FREE workshops also offer hands-on training for law enforcement, covering counterfeit pill identification, fentanyl response and wholesaler investigations-equipping officers to prevent overdoses. 908 Devices was honored to take part in a recent workshop, showcasing how the MX908 handheld mass spectrometer can quickly detect trace amounts of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs directly in the field. Purpose-built for high-risk, real-time scenarios, the MX908 enables faster decision-making and helps protect officers and the communities they serve. This collaboration underscores the essential role public-private partnerships play in strengthening frontline response and saving lives.

Mitigating the Fentanyl Crisis, Collaboratively

As Operation FREE 3.0 grows, it signals a broader shift toward intelligence-driven enforcement and collaborative innovation-bringing together the tools, training and insights needed to confront the synthetic drug crisis head-on.

We are committed to amplifying Operation FREE's message and raising awareness for this urgent cause. To the organizers and participants of Operation FREE-thank you. Your work is making a measurable difference, and we are honored to contribute technology that empowers the frontline responders working tirelessly to end this epidemic.

There's never been a more critical time for communities, organizations and industry partners to join the fight and help ensure those responding on the front lines have the tools they need to save lives from the scourge of fentanyl.

908 Devices Inc. published this content on July 09, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 09, 2025 at 12:28 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io