Austin News

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) have successfully seen their bill, the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, signed into law. The legislation is aimed at cracking down on the fentanyl supply chain by targeting opioid manufacturers and traffickers. Sen. Cornyn expressed, "The fentanyl crisis is devastating communities in Texas and across the country, and those who fund and profit from it must be held accountable." He further emphasized the impact of the law by stating, "By targeting the financial assets of Chinese precursor manufacturers and Mexican cartels, this law will kneecap the supply chain of this deadly drug and help save American lives."

The FEND Off Fentanyl Act comes in response to alarming statistics. In 2021, nearly 107,000 Americans died from an overdose, with 65% of overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl in the following year, an amount sufficient to supply a lethal dose to every American.

Key provisions of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act include declaring the international trafficking of fentanyl a national emergency, sanctioning transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels' key members involved in fentanyl trafficking, utilizing proceeds of forfeited, sanctioned property of fentanyl traffickers for law enforcement efforts, enhancing the enforcement of sanctions violations, and reporting to Congress on actions taken to reduce international fentanyl trafficking.

Additionally, the Act empowers the U.S. Department of the Treasury to combat fentanyl-related money laundering, prioritize suspicious transactions related to fentanyl, and include descriptions of drug cartels' financing actions in Suspicious Activity Reports.

The signing of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act marks a significant step in combating the fentanyl crisis and protecting American lives from the dangers of this lethal drug.