Senators have introduced a bill in the US Congress that aims to inspect all ships for fentanyl — the potent drug that is fuelling an overdose crisis in the country.
The vessel inspection proposal is part of a wider bill, introduced by five lawmakers led by Senator Maria Cantwell, that seeks to reduce smuggling of synthetic drugs across multiple modes of transport.
The text of the Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on US Transportation Networks Act calls on Customs & Border Protection, as well as the Coast Guard, to carry out non-intrusive inspections of half of all cargo imported by ship within five years of the bill’s passage.
Within 10 years, all cargo must be inspected for synthetic drugs such as fentanyl.
The non-intrusive measures include technology and canines.
The Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, which holds cash from the sale of assets seized by federal law enforcement, will pay for the inspections.
Cantwell, who represents the state of Washington, said drug traffickers should not be allowed to exploit the US transportation system to smuggle fentanyl or the precursor chemicals used to make synthetic drugs.
“Our bill equips federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement with the tools they need to curb drug smuggling by accelerating the development of non-intrusive technologies to inspect our commercial aircraft, trucks, trains and ships — while boosting resources to deploy this technology and drug-sniffing dogs, improving forensic science at crime labs, and building a better system to share intelligence and information between federal authorities and the private sector,” she said.
She was joined by fellow Democratic senators Jon Tester of Montana, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jacky Rosen of Nevada and New Mexico’s Ben Ray Lujan.
‘Scourge of fentanyl’
Baldwin said: “I’ve heard from parents who lost children, law enforcement fighting on the front lines, and advocates — all demanding we do more to stop the scourge of fentanyl.
“I’m fighting this crisis on all fronts — from stopping the precursor chemicals being manufactured in China, to boosting access to overdose reversal drugs, and everything in between.
“I’m proud to lead this legislation to give our law enforcement the tools they need to stop drug traffickers from using American airports, railways, ports and roads to smuggle fentanyl into our communities.”
Before becoming law, the bill would need to pass the Senate and House of Representatives, in addition to being signed by President Joe Biden.
Democrats control the Senate, but not the House.
Republicans have sought to frame the debate over the fentanyl crisis as a problem of illegal immigration.
The bill, if passed, would direct the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy to develop a strategy to prevent smuggling of synthetic drugs via transport networks.
Non-intrusive inspections would be carried out on 100% of motor vehicles and rail cars that enter the US in five years. Like maritime cargo, civil air cargo would have to reach the 100% within 10 years.
The bill would also order the Coast Guard to develop a strategy for interdictions of synthetic drugs at sea.
Tester said his state of Montana has seen families torn apart by fentanyl.
“If we’re going to end illicit drug trafficking, we’re going to have to come at this issue from all sides, and that means strengthening our southern border, funding law enforcement and securing the transportation systems allowing bad actors to get these drugs into our communities,” he said.
