Bill to Combat Fentanyl Trade Signed

A bill authored and sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) to stop the funding of illegal synthetic drugs has been signed into law.

On Monday, Senator Cornyn released a statement after the Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act was signed into law.

The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year and was introduced in part by Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas).

“Fentanyl is an unprecedented crisis that continues to kill innocent children and adults in our country, and we must fight it at every level,” Cornyn said. “This bill will help law enforcement better understand the illicit financing and business models of drug trafficking organizations, increasing our chances of defeating them and saving American lives.”

In 2023, more than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses. Nearly 75,000 of these deaths were from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The safety of Nevadans is one of my top priorities and I am proud to have passed my bill to help us crack down on drug traffickers who distribute dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl into our communities,” Cortez Masto said. “This bill will improve our understanding of how drug cartels finance their operations to better prevent fentanyl money laundering and crack down on drug trafficking.”

The law directs the Comptroller General of the United States to investigate the illicit financing of the synthetic drug trade and provide information about its business model. It also outlines what the government can do to prevent Congress from funding it within a year.

The National Desk’s content is provided by Sinclair, the parent company of FOX45 News.