Dear Representatives Vasquez and Chavez-DeRemer,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 8992, the “Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act.”
Our law enforcement members are the first line of defense against the scourge of fentanyl that comes across the American border each day. The materials to make these drugs, known as precursor chemicals, are often shipped piecemeal, making them harder to detect in border crossings. It is critical now more than ever that our country invests in curbing the flow of drugs into our communities, to prevent fentanyl and fentanyl analogs have upon our citizens.
Your legislation would address this issue by investing over $5 billion in funding to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to support border operations and drug interdiction efforts. These funds would be used to recruit and retain additional CBP Officers, develop non-intrusive inspection technology to detect trafficking, create an outbound inspection program to prevent illegal export, and provide further funding to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. This legislation would also require CBP to report to Congress on the use of these funds and create harsher penalties for individuals convicted of destroying border control devices.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you both for your leadership on this issue. If I can be of any help or provide additional information in support of this legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President