Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) led a bipartisan effort this week to combat fentanyl production. Alongside California Rep. Josh Harder (D), Rep. Crenshaw introduced the Disrupt Fentanyl Pill Production Act. The Bill would attempt to end counterfit pill operations, and it would empower law enforcement agencies to trace pill presses used by cartels and other criminal enterprises to mass-produce illicit drugs sold on American streets.
Rep. Crenshaw praised the bill, noting that "for the safety of our communities, it's imperative that we give law enforcement the ability to trace these illicit pill presses moving across borders." If passed, he states, the bill would "allow officers to better understand the criminal supply chain." "Serializing pill presses will also give them better tools to effectively catch and prosecute cartels who use this equipment to disguise deadly drugs and exploit our children for profit."
The production of fentanyl has been an ongoing concern for years, and lawmakers have similarly sounded the alarm on the "border crisis," warning that fentanyl is being transported across the border and killing Americans. According to a press release from Rep. Crenshaw's office, the cartels and criminals have targeted children on social media, pretending that they are selling prescription drugs like Xanax, Adderall, and Percocet. Because most people cannot tell the difference between fake pills and the real pills, counterfit pills have become incredibly dangerous. The Drug Enforcement Administration warns that most counterfit pills are laced with methamphetamine or fentanyl, and the DEA reports that 7 out of 10 pills that are seized contain enough fentanyl to be lethal.
Rep. Harder also weighed in on the situation, warning that "the fentanyl epidemic is killing our community."
“We have to use every tool available to stop criminals from selling this stuff," he added, noting that "one tool we have is taking down the counterfeit pill industry.” “These drug dealers make lethal pills by using imported or illegally obtained pill presses – this bill cuts off that supply and makes it easier for law enforcement to catch these heartless criminals. Simply put: less supply means thousands of lives saved.”
