Members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division are helping raise awareness to Red Ribbon Week with a 1,400 mile motorcycle ride finishing in Lincoln on Thursday, October 10.
The journey began Tuesday morning in Omaha, and will take these bikers to capitol buildings in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska — making up the five states covered by DEA’s Omaha Division.
Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug misuse prevention and awareness program, occurring annually, October 23-31. The event began following the death of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was tortured and murdered in 1985 by drug traffickers he was investigating in Mexico. People recognize Red Ribbon Week by wearing ribbons, lighting landmarks red, engaging in conversations about the dangers of drug misuse and experimentation and pledging to live drug free lives.
Across the Midwest, fentanyl and methamphetamine remain the top two drugs seized by DEA in 2024. To date, approximately 3.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl have been removed from the five state Division along with nearly 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine. While fentanyl pill seizures are trending downward, fentanyl powder seizures have jumped 21 percent and methamphetamine seizures approximately 50 percent.
“It sounds cliché given the ride we’re embarking on, but we can’t take our foot off the gas when it comes to raising awareness about the dangers of drugs,” said DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell, who is among the riders making the three-day ride. “We need to continue conversations on the consequences of drug experimentation and misuse and educate members of our community on the lethality of just one small dose of fentanyl. Our hope is that this Red Ribbon ride draws attention to a subject that needs to be discussed by families within our region.”
The riders are set to arrive at the Nebraska State Capitol at approximately 3 p.m. on Thursday.