On Wednesday, Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, held a news conference call with law enforcement leaders urging the immediate implementation of new legislation to address the national security crisis caused by the proliferation of fentanyl in the United States.
Last Wednesday, the U.S. government passed the bipartisan legislation advocated by Brown known as the “FEND Off Fentanyl Act.” The bill, developed in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, was introduced to Congress last April by Brown and Republican Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina. It took nearly a year to become law.
The legislation declares the fentanyl trafficking issue a national emergency and imposes new sanctions on the leaders of trafficking organizations. The measure also grants the U.S. Treasury Department more authority to combat money laundering related to drug trafficking and authorizes officials to use confiscated assets for law enforcement efforts.
Shortly after President Biden signed the bill, Brown stated in a press release, “Our legislation will impose new and stronger sanctions across the entire fentanyl supply chain, from chemical suppliers in China to Mexican cartels trafficking drugs into our country.”
The statement further explained, “Law enforcement agencies in Ohio and across the country have made it clear that we need more tools to stop fentanyl trafficking at its source. Thanks to our collective efforts, these tools are now enshrined in law and can be used to combat drug trafficking organizations. Today, we have taken an important step in the fight against the illegal inundation of fentanyl in Ohio communities.”
After months of investigation, the U.S. House of Representatives’ “China Task Force” released a report during an April 16 hearing revealing that since 2018, the Chinese Communist Party has been encouraging the illegal manufacturing of at least 17 synthetic drugs, including precursor chemicals for fentanyl, through tax incentives and sponsorships. These drugs were then smuggled into countries including the U.S., Mexico, Australia, the U.K., and Germany, with overseas buyers easily purchasing them through online or social media platforms.
The report also mentioned that the Chinese Communist Party continues to subsidize the drug manufacturing industry, facilitating the production of drugs using “state power” and shipping them to the United States, causing harm to Americans.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that in 2022, over 110,000 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses, with 76,000 of those deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Fentanyl overdose has become one of the leading causes of death for Americans aged 18 to 45 and a contributing factor to the decline in life expectancy in the United States.