SANFORD, Fla. — Fentanyl has become one of the most dangerous drug threats in America, impacting millions of lives.
In Central Florida, the crisis continues to take its toll, but some, like Tyler Seithel, are working to turn their lives around and help others in the process.
Every Thursday, Seithel sets up free meals and Bible study sessions in Sanford. But just two years ago, he was on a very different path—one that could have landed him in prison for 30 years.
Seithel was a drug dealer, selling marijuana and other substances to support his own habit. Over time, he noticed a growing demand for fentanyl.
“There were lots of customers that were like ‘I want fentanyl.’ I knew a few dealers who always had it on deck,” Seithel said. “Marijuana is something that everyone just had it, it was no big deal. Cocaine was just like ... they didn’t really care to buy it because it was so expensive, but fentanyl was something like, ‘yes, I need that.’”
In April 2023, a sting operation led to his arrest. Facing serious federal charges, Seithel’s future seemed bleak. But a diversion program through Freeway Ministries, he was able to avoid prison and instead focus on turning his life around.
Seithel’s story is just one piece of the larger fentanyl crisis.
In 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 55 million fentanyl pills and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in the United States.
DEA agent Marc Skeffington says most of the drug seizures coming into Florida link back to two main cartels in Mexico.
“A lot of the fentanyl is produced and shipped from two cartels in Mexico,” Skeffington said. “The Sinaloa cartel and the CJNG cartel.”
All that fentanyl resulted in EMS emergency responders being called to over 102,000 drug overdoes.
One surprising aspect of the crisis is how some drug dealers carry NARCAN, a life-saving overdose reversal drug.
“I’ve had to use it on people before,” Seithel said.
Despite this, Skeffington warns that traffickers are only interested in profit.
“They are trying to drive addiction,” Skeffington said. “That is really their primary focus. I have seen some instances ... of NARCAN perhaps being readily available in a house, but the thing I’ll come back to is these drug traffickers are purely motivated by profit.”
Central Florida law enforcement is actively working to combat the crisis.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, a member of the statewide opioid task force, has focused on both arrests and prevention.
“We are trying to fulfill one of society’s greatest responsibilities, and that is to protect and preserve human life,” Lemma said. “If you look at what has happened over recent years, politics aside, the mortality or life expectancy of a United States citizen has been significantly reduced because of this drug epidemic.”
The sheriff has numbers to back up his success. From 2023 to 2024, Seminole County saw a 29% decrease in overdoses and a 42% reduction in overdose fatalities. Officers also made 54 drug trafficking arrests last year.
“When you look at what works for us, it’s a combination of things,” Lemma said. “One, it’s connecting the dots between various organizations that we feel can be helpful. Two, it’s the faith-based community. Three, it is the business community.”
In Florida, the distribution of NARCAN is also proving successful. In 2023 alone, over 400,000 kits were distributed, leading to more than 16,000 overdose reversals.
Determined to leave his past behind, Seithel is now part of a faith-based recovery program. He works alongside a local ministry and the business community to stay on the right track.
“My house leader is also a guy with a story like me. He has spent 25 years in addiction, came from a broken home and everything,” Seithel said. “He is now completely reformed. He’s my house leader. He’s a missionary from Missouri who came to start a house here to bring people in, just like me.”
Seithel’s next step is attending Bible college, with hopes of becoming a missionary himself.
