Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are leading a bipartisan effort directing increased federal attention to fentanyl trafficking

Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are leading a bipartisan effort directing increased federal attention to fentanyl trafficking by utilizing the tools of the Department of Defense (DoD) and involving Mexico as an active partner to combat this crisis and disrupt Mexican cartel activity.

Fentanyl is a leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45, and an estimated 196 Americans are dying every single day due to fentanyl, which is about the equivalent of the death total on 9/11 every 15 days.

90% of fentanyl flows through our Southern border. U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug trafficking has faced significant challenges since Andrés Manuel López Obrador became president in 2018. Between Fiscal Year 2017 and 2021, fentanyl trafficking offenses increased 950%.

Specifically, the Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act of 2023 will work to strengthen these efforts by:

-Declaring fentanyl trafficking a national security threat stemming from drug cartels in Mexico,
-Directing the Pentagon to develop a fentanyl-specific counter-drug strategy, including enhanced cooperation with Mexican defense officials,
-Requiring the Secretary of Defense to increase security cooperation with the Mexican military, and
-Addressing coordination efforts between the military and federal law enforcement agencies.

https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/ernst-kaine-bice-carbajal-combat-threat-of-fentanyl

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