Florida fentanyl deaths fall sharply after state targets drug traffickers: DeSantis

Fentanyl-caused deaths across Florida dropped nearly 60% since 2023 following targeted state funding and law enforcement operations, according to new report details released Tuesday.Florida drug death reportFlorida recorded nearly 5,000 fentanyl-caused deaths in 2023, but that total dropped to about 2,000 in 2025. Data from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission’s 2025 Annual Drug Report showed a 37% decrease in fentanyl-caused deaths from 2024 to 2025 alone, while deaths from fentanyl analogs dropped by more than 50%. Total drug-related deaths statewide dropped 12%, opioid-caused deaths fell 33%, cocaine deaths fell 16%, and methamphetamine deaths decreased 23%, according to the report. State drug enforcement fundingThe State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication grant program, created in 2023, funded large-scale investigations to break up drug trafficking rings. Officers working through S.A.F.E.-funded operations made nearly 3,000 arrests while seizing over 600 pounds of fentanyl, 65