On Friday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt, the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, joined Senator Marco Rubio in introducing two pieces of legislation to crack down on criminal activity at the nation’s southern border.
While drug cartels and human traffickers are making $billions exploiting the porous southern border, currently, under federal law, there are only vague criminal offenses that address the encouragement, inducement or aiding and assisting of unlawful entry into the U.S. In response, Sens. Britt, Rubio, and five colleagues introduced the No Coyote Cash Act to criminalize payments made with the intent of financing unlawful entry into the U.S. and to penalize convicted foreign aliens who have violated this law by making them deportable and inadmissible for reentrance.
“With a record number of Americans dying from fentanyl poisoning, record deaths among migrants attempting to cross the border, record profits by the cartels, and a record amount of people on the terrorism watchlist apprehended at the border, there is no doubt that this is a crisis unlike which we have ever seen,” said Sen. Britt. “It is critical that we end incentives and loopholes that are encouraging people to break the law and game the system. This bill would protect vulnerable children, women, and men from being exploited by dangerous criminals while also helping stem the tide of immigrants illegally flooding across our porous southern border.”
The CDC estimates more than 107,000 people died of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending August 2022. Illicit fentanyl remains the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, drug dealers increasingly target children, teenagers, and young adults with fentanyl pills that look like candy and common prescription medication. Drug dealers lace marijuana, heroin, and even Ritalin with fentanyl. The amount of fentanyl seized in Birmingham alone last year reportedly was enough to kill every single person in the state of Alabama.
Alabama schools administering Narcan to students because of an overdose of opioids is becoming increasingly commonplace.
In response to the surge of illicit fentanyl being trafficked across our southern border and into our communities, Sens. Britt, Rubio, and 13 of their Senate colleagues have reintroduced the Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act. The bill makes the distribution of fentanyl, resulting in death, punishable by federal felony murder charges.
“Fentanyl is stealing lives and devastating families in every corner of Alabama and America,” Senator Britt stated. “This crisis is infiltrating our schools and our communities, and it is past time that we hold the criminals profiting off of this poison accountable. This legislation is an important part of comprehensively addressing the supply of and demand for fentanyl in our country, so we can keep our children safe and our future strong.”
Britt has prioritized border security and public safety during her first seven weeks in office. She introduced a robust package of four pieces of legislation and has already cosponsored an additional four bills related to the topic.
Britt won a landslide victory in the 2022 election, easily besting her Democratic and Libertarian opponents.
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