Weapons-grade chemical carfentanil surges as dangerous substitute for fentanyl

Weapons-grade carfentanil, 100 times stronger than fentanyl, is surging in the U.S. as a lethal substitute, leading to hundreds of deaths. The DEA attributes the rise to Mexican traffickers adapting to Chinese regulations on fentanyl precursors. Carfentanil's extreme potency—lethal in amounts smaller than a poppy seed—poses severe risks to drug users.