Moran and colleagues introduce bill to combat production of fentanyl pills

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

Combating fentanyl trafficking has become a top priority for law enforcement in the US, and legislation has recently been introduced to do just that.

On Friday, U.S. Senators Jerry Moran, John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act. The bill would stop the production of counterfeit pills and pills laced with fentanyl and make it easier for federal law enforcement to take action against the illegal use of pill presses by drug cartels by requiring that serial numbers be engraved on the pill presses, according to a press release from Moran’s office.

“Fentanyl has killed thousands of Americans and remains a leading cause of death in the United States,” Moran noted in the press release. “By imposing penalties for removing or altering serial numbers on pill presses, law enforcement can more effectively target those responsible for producing counterfeit fentanyl pills and help prevent drug traffickers from flooding our country with these deadly fake pills.”

“Seven out of every 10 pills seized by the DEA contained a lethal dose of fentanyl, underscoring how easy it is for this silent killer to infiltrate our communities and take the lives of our innocent and unsuspecting loved ones,” Senator Cornyn noted in the press release. “By requiring the serialization of pill presses, this bill will help law enforcement better detect, track, and prosecute the cartels that use these machines to produce these deadly pills.”

“Even as the Biden Administration continues to crack down on fentanyl supply chains, Congress can do more to address what is currently the leading cause of death for younger Americans,” Senator Coons noted in the press release. “The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act targets an underrated but critical component of the fentanyl supply chain: pill press machines used for illicit purposes. I appreciate Senator Cornyn’s leadership in developing this approach with me to track pill presses in a way that properly considers the needs of law enforcement, legitimate businesses, and our communities.”

“Fentanyl has devastated families across Minnesota, and this crisis is fueled by those who use pill presses to produce counterfeit drugs. We must do more to combat traffickers and protect communities,” Senator Klobuchar said in the press release. “This bipartisan legislation will require all pill presses to be serialized, which will help law enforcement track pill presses, combat the production of counterfeit pills, reduce overdoses, and ultimately save lives.”

According to the press release, the legislation has been in the works for some time.

“In 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seized more than 80 million pills containing fentanyl. As the supply of these illegal drugs increases, many cartels have gained access to the same type of pill presses used by pharmaceutical companies to produce counterfeit pills that are often indistinguishable from the real thing,” according to a press release from Moran’s office. “The Controlled Substances Act currently requires companies to maintain records of the distribution of pill-pressing equipment, which helps the DEA track and seize pill presses used to produce fentanyl-laced pills. But while illegal pill presses have been seized in 43 states, many reports suggest that these seizures represent only a small number of the pill presses used by cartels. The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act would help the DEA and other federal law enforcement agencies solve drug trafficking crimes and trace pill presses to cartels by amending the Controlled Substances Act to require all encapsulating machines or tableting machines to be engraved with a serial number. The legislation would also impose criminal penalties for removing or altering the serial number and for transporting or possessing a pill press with a removed or altered serial number.

The legislation is endorsed by the National HIDTA Directors Association, the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the Sergeants Benevolent NYPD, the National District Attorneys Association and CPAC.”