Biden pushes legislative proposals to crack down on fentanyl trafficking

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Wednesday will push for new proposals to crack down on fentanyl trafficking as he emphasizes key policies he wants to focus on during the final six months of his presidency.

Biden’s proposals to Congress includes a new drug classification for fentanyl-related substances, which would result in higher penalties to traffickers; give border officials the tools to effectively track and target small-dollar fentanyl shipments; and create a nationwide pill press and tableting machine registry that will make it easier for law enforcement to keep track of machines producing fake fentanyl pills.

As he is closing out his term, Biden is calling for new changes and regulations on a number of hot-button issues like the Supreme Court and now fentanyl – a move that could help Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, as she campaigns across the country.

The president on Monday called for sweeping changes to the Supreme Court and a constitutional amendment to ensure presidents are not immune from criminal prosecution, as he expressed concern over Americans’ faith in the nation’s highest court.

The new proposals Biden is pushing for would make fentanyl related substances a Schedule 1 drug, which are defined as drugs with no accepted medical use and have high potential for abuse. Heroin, LSD and ecstasy are among some Schedule 1 drugs, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

There would be stronger penalties for those associated with fentanyl if it became a Schedule 1 drug.

Biden on Wednesday also will sign a new memorandum directing agencies to double down on efforts to disrupt the supply chain of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids through greater information sharing between intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

Drug overdoses from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, rose rapidly over the past decade, with thousands dying due to the drugs. However, there was a slight drop in deaths in recent years. According to the CDC, 74,702 people died from fentanyl or synthetic opioids in 2023, compared with 76,226 deaths in 2022.

The Biden administration has worked with Mexico, as well as China, to try and crack down on fentanyl flowing into the Western Hemisphere and the United States.

Most recently, the Justice Department announced over the weekend that Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, the co-founder and alleged leader of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, along with the son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, were arrested by federal authorities in Texas. The Sinaloa Cartel was one of the deadliest worldwide fentanyl trafficking organizations.

Contributing: Joey Garrison, Lauren Villagran and Josh Meyer

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden pushes proposals to crack down on fentanyl trafficking