New, stronger fentanyl variant discovered in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A new type of fentanyl has been discovered in Utah. 

The new variant, nicknamed “kryptonite” for its green color, was found in Utah in December 2025 when the FBI’s Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force seized a kilo of the substance. 

Previously, green fentanyl had only been seen in the New Orleans area in October 2025. 

“Details regarding green fentanyl are a little sparse at this point,” said Robert Bohls, Special Agent in Charge at the Salt Lake City FBI. “But we do know that it is a little bit more potent than the normal fentanyl we’re seeing, and the scary part about it is it’s got this light green color that can be made to look like candy.”

A public affairs specialist with the FBI clarified that green fentanyl varies in texture from sidewalk chalk to gel to gravel. 

Bohls added that fentanyl seizures are up significantly in Utah, going from 1.8 million seizures in 2024 to nearly 19 million in 2025. That’s including the amount of fentanyl seized in individual instances and the frequency of seizures. 

On top of that, Bohls says they’re seeing younger and younger fentanyl users in Utah. 

“We recently had a 12-year-old who had an overdose and had to be rushed to the hospital, and thankfully survived,” Bohls said. 

Bohls encourages people and especially parents to educate themselves on the dangers of fentanyl.

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Read more: Nearly 400K fentanyl pills seized in Utah as part of nationwide operation