COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 26, 2026) — One of the largest fentanyl seizures in the history of the Central Ohio Major Drug Interdiction Task Force took place this week in Madison County, with authorities confiscating 44 pounds of the deadly synthetic opioid.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the seizure Thursday, calling it a significant blow to drug traffickers operating in the region.
“This is 44 pounds of agony and devastation that will never reach our communities,” Yost said. “Our task forces are hard at work every day, thwarting traffickers and choking off the supply of these lethal drugs.”
Agents seized the fentanyl — estimated to have a street value of approximately $800,000 — on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation. The case is being handled through the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC), which operates under the Attorney General’s Office.
Authorities say the investigation has resulted in charges against two individuals. Specific details about the suspects and charges have not yet been released.
To put the seizure into perspective, OOCIC’s major drug task forces confiscated a total of 86 pounds of fentanyl statewide during all of 2025. This single operation accounts for more than half of that annual total.
The Central Ohio Major Drug Interdiction Task Force is a multi-agency effort that includes the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Gahanna Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.
The Madison County Prosecutor’s Office is handling prosecution of the case.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing.
