A recent drug trafficking case in Pickerington, Ohio, underscores efforts to combat the distribution of illicit opioids in the state. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost emphasized the importance of advanced chemical testing in identifying new drug trends. “Drug traffickers disguise deadly drugs as prescription pills to smuggle them into our communities,” Yost stated. “The bottom line is this: If you’re taking a pill that wasn’t prescribed by your doctor, you risk an overdose or death.”
Jorge Santillan, a 41-year-old from Indianapolis, faced indictment on March 5 in the Fairfield County Common Pleas Court. He was charged with aggravated drug trafficking, a first-degree felony; aggravated drug possession, a fifth-degree felony; and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a fourth-degree misdemeanor. The investigation by the Pickerington Police Department is ongoing, and additional charges might be filed.
The investigation revealed that Santillan had bags of pills marked as oxycodone and several bags containing a powdery substance. The evidence was examined by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) laboratory. Analysis showed that the 3,723 pills, although marked like pharmaceutical pills, were carfentanil, an extremely potent synthetic opioid. Carfentanil is used by veterinarians to anesthetize large animals but is not approved for human use.
Additional evidence of more than 200 grams of powder contained fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl (PFF), another strong fentanyl analog. PFF is often mixed with other narcotics including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
Attorney General Yost praised the efforts of local law enforcement, stating, “Kudos to Pickerington Police Chief Tod Cheney and his detectives for getting these pills off the street before they could wreak havoc. Fairfield County Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Witt has already brought charges against this alleged trafficker, and we look forward to supporting his prosecution.”
Carfentanil saw significant presence in Ohio in 2017, with the BCI lab identifying it in over a thousand drug samples. Although there was a recent decline—confirmed in just nine samples in 2023 and 40 in 2024—BCI observed an increase in 2025, with the substance identified in 32 samples so far this year. These samples have come from 16 counties, including multiple from Franklin, Fairfield, Delaware, Allen, and Cuyahoga counties.
BCI continues to monitor for new fentanyl analogs entering Ohio, requiring specialized tests because of their varying chemical structures. Notably, in February, a new fentanyl compound, previously unidentified, was named fentanyl methylene homolog by BCI's forensic scientists. It is likely from clandestine labs attempting to create more potent fentanyl forms. To date, the BCI lab has evaluated approximately 65 different fentanyl compounds.
"They're convincing fakes...You're taking a gamble, playing the lottery every single day that you score something on the street and put it in your body..."
"They looked like M30 oxycontin pills, but they weren't oxycontin at all..."
"A lot of fentanyl can be put in a very small package. We will continue to have a fight on our hands for a while."
"The power of these things is so different than the drug wars of the 70s and 80s. We're talking about compounds that can have profound impacts very quickly..."