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Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure introduced by Congressman Salud Carbajal and Stephanie Bice (R-OK) to direct 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 drug cartel and trafficking activity.

The Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act, originally introduced with Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) in May, passed as part of the House’s defense policy legislation for Fiscal Year 2024.

“The Central Coast of California has been devastated by the scourge of fentanyl on our streets, with some areas seeing a 700% spike in overdose deaths in recent years. Hundreds in my region are dying every year, along with thousands more across the U.S., and pounds of this lethal drug are reaching our borders every day,” Representative Salud Carbajal said. “While it’s clear that there is work ahead to return our defense policy legislation to a place where can be signed into law, this week we already saw a bipartisan commitment in the House to getting our measure to the finish line. Our bill affirms the Department of Defense’s role in our fight against fentanyl, increases federal attention to its trafficking, and encourages more cooperation with Mexico to crack down on the cartels and other networks that are pushing it into our communities. We need an international and all-hands approach to curbing these overdose deaths–and it starts with cutting off the supply before it reaches our communities.”

“The passage of the Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act is great news,” said Rep. Bice. “It will further empower the Department of Defense to take steps to halt cartel trafficking and the national security threat that this has created at our southern border. In 2020, we lost 136 Oklahomans due to overdose deaths from fentanyl – a nearly 152 percent increase from the previous year. This dangerous drug has found its way into our communities, and I am committed to stopping this self-inflicted crisis."

The lawmaker’s measure was added as amendment to the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act with the help of Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-FL).

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.

Of the 168 overdose deaths in Santa Barbara County in 2022, 115 were fentanyl related, compared to 75 in 2021 and 32 in 2019. In Ventura County, fentanyl-related overdose deaths have risen more than 800% in recent years – with 181 deaths in 2022 compared to 22 in 2017. In San Luis Obispo County, overdose deaths involving fentanyl climbed from 9 in 2019 to 74 in 2021.

The Department of Defense plays a crucial role in the nation’s counter-drug intelligence and monitoring operations, and these operations are meant to provide federal law enforcement with actionable intelligence to further investigations. However, a lack of interagency cooperation has hampered our government’s counter-fentanyl efforts.

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 and smugglers,
• Directing the Pentagon to develop a fentanyl-specific counter-drug strategy, including enhanced cooperation with foreign nations,
• 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.