SUSSEX CO., Del. - A suspected large-scale fentanyl dealer with alleged ties to Philadelphia is now facing federal charges after investigators say they uncovered over 13 pounds of suspected fentanyl during a DEA raid in Sussex County, according to court records obtained by WBOC.
According to a detention memo filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware, the DEA arranged two controlled purchases of suspected fentanyl from 42-year-old Tyrone West in March and April of 2026. Investigators say the buys were part of a broader investigation tied to another suspected drug trafficking operation.
Authorities say the investigation escalated after agents executed a search warrant at West’s residence. Prosecutors allege West was the only person inside the home at the time and attempted to flee through a back door as officers arrived. Inside the home, investigators say they found about six kilograms of suspected fentanyl along with drug packaging materials, including blue and white baggies, rubber bands, a drug press, and a stamping device marked with the word “funeral.”
The DEA says as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s size, tolerance, and past usage, meaning West is accused of possessing 3,000,000 potentially deadly doses.
Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against West on April 29, charging him with possession with intent to distribute the drug.
Court records show prosecutors are now pushing to keep West behind bars while the case moves forward, arguing he is both a danger to the community and a flight risk. In arguing for West’s detention pending trial, prosecutors lay out West’s lengthy criminal history.
Prosecutors say West has a total of 26 felony arrests and eight felony convictions, including previous convictions involving drugs, assault, weapons offenses, aggravated menacing and resisting arrest. West also has 14 failures to appear in court and 17 violations of probation, according to authorities.
“It is evident that despite the grace the justice system has given West for some of his past transgressions, he cannot abide by court orders or remain a law-abiding citizen,” prosecutors argue.
The memo states West is currently wanted in both Delaware and Maryland. Delaware authorities are reportedly seeking him on separate drug offenses, while Maryland officials issued a bench warrant tied to an alleged probation violation in a DWI case in Worcester County. Maryland’s court records last listed West as a Bridgeville, Del. resident.
Investigators further allege West supplied fentanyl to another individual connected to a January 2026 search warrant in which agents seized roughly 320 grams of suspected fentanyl.
If convicted on the federal fentanyl charge involving more than 400 grams, West would face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years. A detention hearing is currently scheduled for Thursday, May 21 after defense attorneys requested a delay earlier this month.
