Seized Fentanyl Pills
Credit: Imperial County Sheriff's Office
Bipartisan END FENTANYL Act Will Help U.S. Law Enforcement Prevent Drug Smuggling And Save Lives
March 10, 2024 - WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that her bipartisan Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and colleagues, has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate last year, and would help crack down on drug smuggling by requiring the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update its drug interdiction guidance at least once every three years to ensure it is up to date. Currently, many CBP policies that outline drug interdiction practices are outdated and do not provide guidance on how to handle drugs like fentanyl.
“When I visited the southern border earlier this year, I saw firsthand how law enforcement is working hard every day to stop the flow of fentanyl and deadly drugs into our country,” said Senator Rosen. “Our bipartisan legislation will support law enforcement’s efforts by giving them the additional tools and training necessary to prevent fentanyl smuggling and help save lives. Far too many communities across Nevada have been impacted by the fentanyl crisis, and I’m glad to see our bipartisan END FENTANYL Act is now headed to the president’s desk to become law.”
“The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department expresses gratitude for this crucial legislative effort. S206 addresses the pressing issue of illegal narcotics flowing through our city and countless others nationwide,” said Las Vegas Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill. “By fostering collaboration among law enforcement agencies, it strengthens our collective resolve against illicit drug use—a menace that profoundly affects our youth, families, and overall crime rates. This legislation represents a significant stride towards safeguarding lives and advancing LVMPD’s vision of being the safest community in America.”
“America’s fentanyl overdose and poisoning crisis has become truly horrific. And sadly, it can all be traced back to a lack of border security and the trafficking of this deadly poison across our border with Mexico,” said Brandon Judd, President of the National Border Patrol Council. Judd also applauded passage of the “bipartisan legislation that will improve CBP’s detection of lethal narcotics such as fentanyl. We must do everything we can to stop the flow of hard narcotics like fentanyl from coming into our country and we will continue to push for border security solutions that keep these poisons out of our communities.”
Senator Rosen has consistently pushed for commonsense measures to secure the border and stop the flow of fentanyl. Last week, she called on President Biden to prioritize robust funding to secure the U.S. southern border and stop fentanyl smuggling in his upcoming budget request. Last month, Senator Rosen voted in favor of passing the bipartisan border security deal, which would have invested more than $20 billion to secure the border, get law enforcement the resources to address the unprecedented flow of migrants, and combat the fentanyl crisis, while ensuring an orderly and humane asylum process. Senator Rosen has also called on the Biden administration to prioritize additional resources to stop the flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl through ports of entry along the border, pushed for increased resources to support border personnel, and recently voted to advance legislation to provide nearly $14 billion in funding to strengthen border security and humanely process migrants.
Source: Senator Jacky Rosen
