Federal agents seized a record 1,060 pounds of fentanyl in June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Friday.
More fentanyl was seized in June 2021 than in the last three Junes combined, the Daily Caller first reported.
CBP reported 109 seizures in June with an average of 9.7 pounds per seizure. That number was down from 132 seizures in May.
CDC data reveals that more than 93,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, marking a 30 percent uptick from 2019, with 69,000 of those overdose fatalities being opioid-related.
The surge in drug-related deaths has primarily been attributed to opioid overdoses, especially from opioids laced with fentanyl, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can constitute a lethal dose, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
In May, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the Biden administration’s relaxed immigration policies are to blame for the massive influx of fentanyl infiltrating the Texas interior. He subsequently deployed 1,000 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and National Guard members to combat the drug trafficking. He also announced he will sign legislation to codify the manufacturing or delivery of fentanyl as a criminal offense, beginning as a third-degree felony.
“Biden’s deadly border policies are being felt in communities throughout TX & the country. DPS & @TexasGuard are working to get these drugs off the streets,” Abbott tweeted in May.
Abbott and Governor Ron DeSantis participated in a joint briefing Saturday to discuss the two states’ efforts on border security.
“What’s happening here at the border may be happening here today but it may be happening in these other states tomorrow, next week or next month,” Abbott said. He emphasized that the flow of fentanyl across the border necessitates bolstered law enforcement.
“We appreciate you stepping up where the federal government won’t and we understand how important this is to not just Texas, but other states,” DeSantis added.
CBP accounted for 188,829 encounters on the southern border in June, the greatest level since March 2000, according to agency data released Friday.
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