America Must Do More To Fight Fentanyl

So, the story of Savannah Crownover and Zarek McMeekin, both from Texas, perished tragically as a result of suspected fentanyl toxicity. They are merely two casualties of the pervasive and catastrophic pandemic that has claimed an excessive number of lives in the United States. America must do more to fight fentanyl.

We must do more in America to fight fentanyl

In the United States, drug overdoses claimed the lives of nearly 110,000 individuals in 2016, according to preliminary federal data released earlier this year. The number of fatal overdoses increased by 30% from 2019 to 2020, and by an additional 15% from 2020 to 2021.

Moreover, the continuous increase in drug overdoses has significantly impacted public health, thereby playing a role in the reduction of life expectancy in the United States as a whole. It constitutes a prominent contributor to mortality rates across the nation.

Except for 2018, the annual increase in drug overdose fatalities has been a consistent trend since the 1970s. Significant alterations in fentanyl availability throughout the United States, as reported in a May 2021 New York Times article, were primarily responsible for the sharp increases in 2020 and 2021.

In addition to the above, the border crises in Mexico/Texas have sparked a drug war between cartels that is leading to the fentanyl pandemic. Something the (no surprise) is silent on.

The proliferation of hazardous substances, such as fentanyl, an exceptionally potent opioid, frequently found in combination with other drugs, has contributed to the escalating peril within the United States’ drug supply.

An inexpensive and highly addictive animal sedative, xylazine, is one such substance that has exacerbated the dangers associated with opioid use. The data indicates that more effective strategies and interventions are urgently required to address this critical public health crisis.

A woman was facing charges of fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking in Carroll County, Georgia.

When deputies searched her residence, they discovered two firearms, Xanax pills, MDMA tablets, suspected cocaine, and marijuana, in addition to approximately 2.5 ounces of suspected fentanyl and 1.5 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine.

Adolescent Maylia Sotelo, formerly referred to by authorities as “the preeminent fentanyl dealer identified in Brown County schools,” is presently confronted in Green Bay, WI, on charges about the distribution and possession of fentanyl.

However, these individuals are minor offenders, and although their apprehension is a positive development, it falls far short of the level of achievement that law enforcement must achieve to effectively combat the widespread drug epidemic that is causing widespread devastation throughout the United States.

The response of the Biden administration to the fentanyl epidemic in the United States is all-encompassing and multifaceted.

This methodology incorporates a range of strategies, including enhanced coordination among domestic law enforcement agencies, partnerships with the private sector, safeguarding the financial system, legislative initiatives, increased availability of naloxone, investments in overdose prevention, and strengthened border security.

At the international level, the administration is at the forefront of a coordinated endeavor involving global allies to impede the illicit trade of synthetic drugs.

This encompasses the establishment of an international alliance to counteract illicit synthetic drugs, with a specific emphasis on averting production, identifying risks, impeding circulation, and mitigating the adverse effects of these substances on public health and safety.

From a domestic perspective, the strategy entails enhancing the collaboration and exchange of information among intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the United States.

It is enhancing cooperation among federal programs to disrupt drug-trafficking networks and trace and target the equipment used in the production of fentanyl, such as tablet presses. It is time for America to fight fentanyl.

More on fentanyl

An alliance of U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and CIA, is employing a comprehensive and cooperative strategy to combat the fentanyl trafficking epidemic.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, has developed an intelligence-centric approach to dismantle transnational criminal enterprises engaged in the illicit trade of opioids, with a specific focus on fentanyl.

This approach capitalizes on the proficiency of HSI in the realm of cross-border criminal investigations and employs financial and customs data to thwart the transportation of illicit drugs.

Moreover, substantial quantities of fentanyl have been apprehended, drug manufacturing apparatus has been seized, and a multitude of arrests have been committed with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This initiative is an element of a larger scheme that targets the drug and the materials utilized in manufacturing.

To protect the U.S. financial system from potential exploitation by drug traffickers, the administration is collaborating internationally on anti-money laundering and illicit finance initiatives associated with drug trafficking and instituting measures to impede these criminals’ access to financial systems.

The administration is exerting legislative pressure on Congress to rectify vulnerabilities that enable traffickers to circumvent regulation through modifications to the chemical composition of fentanyl and its analogs.

What about the government?

The government has implemented substantial measures to enhance the availability of naloxone in federal facilities, thereby ensuring its efficacy in critical circumstances during public health emergencies.

Significant financial support has been sought to provide services and assistance in treatment, harm reduction, and recovery to prevent overdoses. This initiative is an integral component of a more extensive plan to eradicate the overdose crisis.

The fight against the illicit trade of fentanyl has necessitated substantial investments in border security and law enforcement campaigns.

These measures encompass the procurement of supplementary funding to bolster border security protocols and the implementation of sophisticated technology for the detection and seizure of illicit substances at entry points. America must do more to fight fentanyl.

Notwithstanding the government and law enforcement agencies’ concerted and comprehensive endeavors to address the fentanyl epidemic, the aforementioned measures remain insufficient.

Further action is required to confront the intricate predicament of fentanyl trafficking, which necessitates collaboration on both the domestic and international levels, and these are the facts!