The United States is under siege by dangerous cartels trafficking fentanyl into our communities. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18-45, a devastating reality that cannot be ignored any longer. Thankfully, Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina has taken action against these transnational criminal organizations by introducing the “Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence Off Fentanyl Act,” a standalone anti-fentanyl trafficking legislation aimed at the financial assets of several major Mexican Cartel organizations.
Americans are dying at the hands of the Mexican cartels and Chinese suppliers fueling America’s fentanyl crisis. Passing my FEND Off Fentanyl Act would bring us one step closer to ending this tragedy.https://t.co/g06hHUxVHx
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) July 18, 2023
Mexican traffickers and Chinese drug suppliers are the main culprits responsible for fueling America’s fentanyl crisis. These ruthless drug cartels are involved with synthetic opioid traffickers and suppliers and must be held accountable for their heinous actions. The US government must take immediate action to disrupt the illicit opioid supply chains and penalize those facilitating the trafficking of fentanyl. The consequences of inaction are fatal, and every American is at risk.
We must not forget that over 107,000 Americans died in 2021 from violence and drug overdoses tied to two major Mexican drug cartels — the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation criminal organizations. These organizations pose the greatest drug threat this country has ever faced, and we cannot allow them to continue to roam free. Nearly 65% of overdose deaths were caused by fentanyl, and this must stop.
Communist China has played a devastating role in flooding fentanyl into our communities. The only way to stop it from poisoning our children is by having the courage and the backbone to stand up to China.
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) July 19, 2023
It’s time to crack down on these violent criminals and hold them accountable for their crimes. They rely on a global supply chain to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, and they rely on a global illicit financial network to pocket billions of dollars. We cannot allow these entities to profit off of the destruction of our communities and the loss of innocent American lives.
Thankfully, law enforcement officials have seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl last year, enough to supply a lethal dose to every American. However, this is just the beginning, and we must continue this fight against the opioid epidemic on all fronts.
Inclusion of this bill in the National Defense Authorization Act is one more step we need to ensure our country can defend our communities from this deadly drug and protect our national security. We need lawmakers in the Senate to vote in favor of this bill and take action against these dangerous cartels. Failure to do so will result in the continued loss of innocent American lives, and we cannot allow this tragedy to continue any longer.
The clock is ticking, and the Senate must act quickly and decisively before it’s too late. We must come together and take action against these transnational criminal organizations to protect our communities and preserve the American way of life.
