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FIRST ON FOX: A new legislative proposal was presented in both the House and the Senate on Tuesday aimed at allowing fentanyl distributors linked to fatalities to face felony murder charges.
Currently, U.S. law mandates a minimum of 20 years imprisonment for such offenses; however, these cases are not prosecuted as murder. The proposed legislation seeks to escalate the severity of penalties for dealers, reflecting a broader commitment to combat the fentanyl crisis that has claimed approximately 280,000 lives in the U.S. since 2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH).
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The Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act was revealed on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Representative Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, introduced the Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act as a bipartisan initiative on Tuesday, coinciding with National Fentanyl Awareness Day. This legislation will proceed to committee review in both chambers.
“Drug cartels have exploited border loopholes to flood our streets with illicit substances, and our communities are suffering as a result,” Gonzales stated to Fox News Digital. “This bill sends a clear message to those collaborating with cartels—if you distribute drugs that lead to fatalities, you will face serious consequences. Our law enforcement is overworking to address this crisis; it’s time to enhance penalties for those dealing fentanyl.”
Despite the staggering death toll, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that “almost 64,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the southern border,” enough to potentially endanger the lives of billions.
“The impact of fentanyl has devastated communities throughout Iowa,” Senator Joni Ernst told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “I’ve been actively working to safeguard Americans and put an end to this epidemic. It’s imperative that we increase penalties for the dealers responsible for the deaths of far too many Iowans.”
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Tom Homan recently asserted that the Biden Administration “deliberately compromised border security,” contributing to a surge in illegal immigration and an influx of fentanyl into the U.S. (DEA Rocky Mountain Division/X)
The rising presence of fentanyl has been closely associated with the significant flow of illegal immigration observed over the past four years during the Biden Administration. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicates that “over 90% of seized fentanyl is intercepted at Ports of Entry (POEs), where cartels primarily use vehicles driven by U.S. citizens for smuggling operations.”
Interestingly, a recent decrease in border apprehensions has also been mirrored by a decline in fentanyl-related deaths. The CDC reported in February that, based on the latest data, overall drug overdose fatalities fell by 24% from October 2023 to September 2024.
Tom Homan, who served as President Donald Trump’s Border Czar, claimed during a White House press conference that the Biden Administration “purposefully compromised border security.”
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Homan further noted that “border crossings are at a record low,” declaring that the U.S. now possesses the “most secure border in its history.”
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