England fans warned over deadly fentanyl risk ahead of World Cup semi-final with Argentina
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has urged England fans travelling to tonight's World Cup semi-final against Argentina to avoid buying illegal drugs amid America's deadly fentanyl crisis.
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The DEA fears criminal gangs are targeting football fans visiting the United States with counterfeit pills containing the powerful synthetic opioids.
The drugs are widespread and can prove fatal after just one dose, claiming at least 76,500 lives in the United States over the 12 months ending in April 2025, according to the National Institute for Drug Abuse.
Jonathan Pullen, Associate Chief of Operations for the DEA's South Central Region, covering states including Texas and New Mexico, told LBC the agency has seen more British football fans taking illegal drugs during high-stakes matches, putting them at risk from fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.
“Fans might take a Xanax because Harry Kane’s not scored yet, but if you pick up illegal drugs in the United States, you're almost certainly going to get something that has fentanyl in it.
“Fentanyl is the largest drug threat we've ever faced in this country."
Fentanyl is increasingly pressed into counterfeit tablets made to resemble genuine prescription medicines, including Xanax, Adderall and OxyContin.
They are not illegal drugs when prescribed by a healthcare professional, but they should only be obtained and used with a valid prescription.
"What we've seen killing Americans is fentanyl disguised to look like legitimate prescription pills. If it doesn't come from a doctor or a pharmacist, you have to assume it's illegal and it could contain fentanyl."
Former Special Agent Pullen said the risk is not limited to counterfeit pills, urging fans not to celebrate an England win by taking illegal drugs such as cocaine, which can also be contaminated with fentanyl.
“[The cartel] are going to target tourists who are celebrating with cocaine or methamphetamine. They’re solely driven by greed.
“Have a Guinness, but don't take a pill that you got from some guy in the alley.”
Almost two-thirds of overdose deaths across Georgia, the host state for England's clash with Argentina, were linked to fentanyl last year, with Atlanta becoming a major hub for drug trafficking, according to the Atlanta-based Summit Wellness Group.
The organisation says counterfeit pills and fentanyl powder are widely available across Atlanta, where DeKalb County - which neighbours the Fulton County site of the World Cup stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium - records higher rates of fentanyl-related overdoses than the state average.
Tena Pruitt campaigns with Lost Voices of Fentanyl, an advocacy group supporting families bereaved by the drug.
Her son, Logan, died aged 22 after unknowingly taking a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl in October 2020.
“[Logan] did not struggle with substance abuse at all. Rather, he was grieving his friend who had died of suicide eight months prior. He was not sleeping and had a job interview, so someone gave him one single pill to help him sleep.
“It put him to sleep forever.”
Tena, who is based in Ohio, says the man responsible for Logan's death is now serving time in prison on drug possession charges. The illicit drugs he supplied are believed to have been linked to as many as seven deaths in the local area.
Ahead of tonight's match, Tena has one message for England fans - don't trust anyone offering drugs or pills.
“Fentanyl does not discriminate. [Logan] believed he was taking a legitimate pill to help him sleep. One counterfeit pill stole his future and changed our lives forever.
“Losing a child is the worst, most excruciating thing that a mum can go through, and I would do absolutely anything to stop this from happening to another family."
Today marks what would’ve been Logan’s 28th birthday.
“He loved soccer. He was so kind and gentle, just a big teddy bear.
“Now our family has to live without him. We will always have an empty chair, it is excruciating.”
Her warnings come as two Georgia residents were sentenced just last week in connection with a fentanyl trafficking operation.
According to the US Department of Justice, the pair imported fentanyl from suppliers in China before distributing it through an Atlanta-based drug network.
Prosecutors said the conspiracy was partly orchestrated from inside a Georgia state prison, with encrypted messaging apps and cryptocurrency used to arrange shipments of up to 2,600 counterfeit pills disguised as prescription drugs.
Howard Piper and Daniel Griggs are the founders of Fentanyl Anonymous, a nationwide support programme for people affected by fentanyl addiction.
Howard has been free from the drug since 2018, while Daniel has been in recovery since 2022.
Howard told LBC, “Fentanyl will take 20 minutes to kill you. It takes so little to end a life, even if it's just somebody at a party taking a pill.
“When I was addicted to drugs, it seemed like the entire supply became tainted with fentanyl. I’m lucky to be alive."
Daniel added, “the high and euphoria are so much more intense than with any other drug I've taken.
“The British people, just like Americans, have an appetite for cocaine, and it’s no secret that the cartel has cut fentanyl into cocaine for many years now. This makes it cheaper to produce and more addictive.”
Howard urged supporters to “stay away from drugs and stick to the bar” if England make it through to the finals.
Daniel said, “You really have to weigh up the risk. It would be awful to be out celebrating an England win with your friends and for it to be the last thing you ever do.”
For more information on staying safe during the FIFA World Cup and how to spot the dangers of fentanyl-laced drugs, visit the DEA's One Pill Can Kill: FIFA World Cup 2026 safety campaign.