Kelly, Casey Introduce Bill to Strengthen Border Security to Stop Flow of Fentanyl

The Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act will increase staffing and technology to detect and stop the flow of fentanyl coming across the border

Bill strengthens security at ports of entry along southwest border, which is the most common way criminals smuggle fentanyl into the U.S.

Kelly, Casey have previously pushed Biden administration for more funding to secure the border

Today, Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced legislation to reduce the flow of fentanyl by providing much-needed resources to secure the southwest border. The Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act increases staffing capacity and technology to detect illicit drugs and other contraband being smuggled through ports of entry along the border. The bill targets the most common way that fentanyl is coming into the United States: through ports of entry along the southwest border.    

“Border Patrol and Port Officers have been stretched far too thin as they do the difficult job of keeping our country safe every single day,” said Senator Kelly. “This bill would give federal law enforcement the additional personnel and technology needed to keep our ports of entry fully staffed, stem the flow of illegal drugs, and secure the border.” 

“So much of the fentanyl devastating Pennsylvania families and communities is being smuggled across our southern border,” said Senator Casey. “This bill will help stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. and provide the hardworking law enforcement officers at the border with the resources, technology, and support they need to do their jobs and secure our border. This bill is a part of a multipronged approach to end the fentanyl crisis by cracking down on the criminals producing and smuggling fentanyl, securing our border, and providing the Americans impacted by fentanyl with the help they need.”   

The Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act would enable U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire more Officers and Border Patrol Agents to increase capacity to stop illicit smuggling over the border. The bill also provides funding to purchase Non-Intrusive Inspection systems, which scan vehicles and cargo at the border to provide detailed images of their interiors, which leads to the detection of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Additionally, the bill would create an inspection program to increase seizure of firearms, which Mexican cartels frequently purchase in the United States and smuggle into Mexico to support their fentanyl production operations and other violent criminal enterprises.    

In addition to Kelly and Casey, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Lujan (D-NM), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Rosen (D-NV), Baldwin (D-WI), Klobuchar (D-MN), Warner (D-VA), and Brown (D-OH).  

In addition to introducing the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act, Kelly and Casey have pushed President Biden to prioritize additional resources to strengthen the security at the southwest border to stop the flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl through ports of entry along the border. Kelly and Casey also support a number of bills to address different aspects of the fentanyl crisis, including the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the criminal organizations in the fentanyl supply chain by sanctioning and blocking their financial assets.    

Read more about the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act here.