Cantwell has been pushing for stronger security measures that keep illegal drugs from entering the U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate passed a series of federal funding bills allocating $1.69 billion to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming into the United States, including an additional $385.2 million to increase security at U.S. ports of entry, with the goal of catching more illegal drugs like fentanyl before they make it across the border.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, voted in favor of the new funding.
“Last year, overdose deaths in the State of Washington rose by nearly 38% – the highest increase of overdose deaths in the nation – and I’m hearing from folks all across the state that this crisis is largely driven by the widespread availability of fentanyl,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Most of that fentanyl, and the ingredients to make it, comes from outside our borders. Our federal agencies now have more resources to disrupt the flow of fentanyl before it even makes it to our ports of entry, and new inspection technology will enable border agents to inspect for contraband without disrupting the flow of legitimate commerce.”
The legislation provides for international leadership to coordinate efforts to stop the production and sale of fentanyl, precursors used to make it, and other illicit drugs. This includes $1.18 billion for the drug interdiction and counterdrug activities undertaken by the Department of Defense, including its work with other militaries. The bill also provides $125 million for the State Department to support its efforts to stop global flows of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs through diplomatic engagement and law enforcement cooperation, including new approaches under the FENTANYL Results Act, which creates two programs to facilitate global cooperation and law enforcement capacity building in specified countries.
Critical funding will go toward Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technology at land and sea ports of entries. NII technologies—like large-scale X-ray and Gamma ray imaging systems, as well as a variety of portable and handheld technologies—allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help detect and prevent contraband from being smuggled into the country without disrupting flow at the border. According to a Senate committee report issued last year, “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Threat Assessment report notes that the most common drug smuggling method used by transnational criminal organizations is through U.S. ports of entry in concealed compartments in passenger vehicles or commingled with cargo on commercial vehicles.” This funding will increase the percentage of passenger vehicles scanned at ports of entry since passenger vehicles are the primary means by which fentanyl is brought into the U.S. The funding breakdown includes:
- $201 million for construction and infrastructure activities for drive-through NII deployment;
- $75.5 million for the Fentanyl Initiative for NII at ports of entry and for labs at eight ports of entry;
- $65.3 million to procure and deploy new NII detection devices;
- $14.4 million to procure advanced Computed Tomography scanners for deployment to mail and courier facilities;
- $12.6 million for artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities; and
- $12.1 million for system integration that brings together the use of the scanning, machine learning and other customs data.
Additionally, the legislation allocates $3 million to establish and operate a Northern Border Coordination Center (NBCC) to serve as a centralized coordination center for operations, domain awareness, information sharing, intelligence, training, and stakeholder engagement. The NBCC shall be placed along the northern border at a location that is collocated with an existing U.S. Border Patrol sector headquarters, the U.S. Border Patrol Northern Border Coordination Center, an Air and Marine Operations branch, and a United States Coast Guard air station.
As chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation – and senator of the state currently experiencing the fastest increase in drug overdose deaths in the nation – Sen. Cantwell has been a leader on legislation that reduces the quantity of illegal drugs entering the United States. She’s a cosponsor of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which would enhance current law so U.S. government agencies can more effectively disrupt illicit opioid supply chains and penalize those facilitating the trafficking of fentanyl. It also declares international trafficking of fentanyl, and the precursors used to make it, a national emergency.
On February 13, 2024, the Senate passed the FEND Off Fentanyl Act as part of a broader national security package. The bill, which Sen. Cantwell cosponsored, would enhance current law so U.S. government agencies can more effectively disrupt illicit opioid supply chains and penalize those facilitating the trafficking of fentanyl. It also declares international trafficking of fentanyl, and the precursors used to make it a national emergency. The House of Representatives has not taken up that legislation. The Senate also passed the FEND Off Fentanyl Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act in July 2023, but the House blocked including the bipartisan bill in the final version of the NDAA that became law.
In November, Sen. Cantwell held a briefing on the fentanyl crisis with her colleagues on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Briefers included officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the Department of Commerce. The Senator also released a statement on the Biden Administration’s announcement of China’s agreement to help stop fentanyl chemical precursors from reaching the U.S.
Over the past year, Sen. Cantwell has held 11 roundtables across Washington state to hear from people on the front lines of the fentanyl crisis: first responders, elected officials, law enforcement, health care providers, tribal leaders, and people with firsthand experience of fentanyl addiction and treatment. A full account of those roundtable discussions is available HERE.
A background document on Sen. Cantwell’s ongoing actions to combat the fentanyl crisis is availableHERE.