Rep. Harriet Hageman presents bill to combat fentanyl crisis

Congresswoman Harriet Hageman introduced the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, which would require pill presses to be engraved with serial numbers to help law enforcement combat counterfeit and fentanyl pills while also cracking down on cartels. This legislation is both bipartisan and bicameral, with Reps. Stansbury (D-NM), Fry (R-SC), Crenshaw (R-TX), and Harder (D-CA) co-leading the House, and Senators Cornyn (R-TX), Coons (D-DE), Moran (R-KS), Klobuchar (D-MN), and Cantwell (D-WA) introducing the Senate version.

Representative Hageman stated, “The plague of deadly fentanyl flowing across our borders has taken the lives of far too many of our family members and friends. Law enforcement is seizing more pills containing fentanyl, and the vast majority of pills contain lethal doses of fentanyl. By requiring an engraved serial number, law enforcement can better trace the presses back to the cartels and traffickers who produce these deadly drugs.”

“Fentanyl disguised as a medicine is killing young people in our country, and it is critical that we continue to work to stop the flow of this deadly drug into the United States,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM). “I am proud to co-sponsor this bill to stop the process at the beginning — by serializing the pill presses used to make deadly and illegal fentanyl pills.”

“Fentanyl poisoning has taken the lives of countless Americans, including many South Carolinians,” said Representative Fry. “I am proud to work with my colleagues to develop a solution and introduce the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act. Too many families have lost a loved one to fentanyl poisoning, and I am committed to doing everything I can in Congress to crack down on drug cartels and drug traffickers to protect our communities.”

“It is imperative to the safety of our communities that we give law enforcement the ability to track these illegal pill presses as they move across borders. This legislation will allow law enforcement to better understand the criminal supply chain,” said Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Congressional Task Force to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels. “Serializing pill presses will also give them better tools to effectively capture and prosecute cartels that use this equipment to conceal deadly drugs and exploit our children for profit.”

“The fentanyl epidemic is destroying our community. We must use every tool at our disposal to stop criminals from selling this stuff. One of the tools we have is taking down the counterfeit pill industry,” said Rep. Harder. “These drug dealers are making deadly pills using imported or illegally obtained pill presses — this bill cuts off that supply and makes it easier for law enforcement to catch these heartless criminals. Simply put, reduced supply means thousands of lives saved.”

Background:

Pill presses are used by legitimate pharmaceutical companies to cut and mark prescription drugs, but drug traffickers, including the Mexican cartels, have acquired the machines to use dies and punches to make pills appear to look like legitimate prescription drugs like oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall when in reality the pills contain fentanyl and other deadly drugs. In 2023, the DEA will seize more than 79 million counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, an increase of more than 33% from the previous year. DEA lab tests now indicate that 7 out of 10 pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl, an increase in lethality from previous years.

This legislation has been endorsed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Sergeants Benevolent NYPD, National District Attorneys Association, National HIDTA Directors Association, National Narcotics Officers Associations Coalition, Major County Sheriffs of America and CPAC.