Dear Senators Booker and Cruz,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for S.2982, the “‘Targeting Online Sales of Fentanyl Act.”
In 2022, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified that drug traffickers were increasingly relying on online platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram to circulate deadly counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. Individuals who purchase these pills, which are primarily advertised to young people as routine over-the-counter prescription drugs, are not aware that these pills are often laced with deadly doses of fentanyl. Despite the significant risk posed by these online sales, Federal agencies lack reliable data to follow these transactions and gain an accurate perspective on the effectiveness of potential countermeasures.
Your legislation will work to provide this critical data by empowering the GAO to investigate the methods used to enable such online sales and assess the procedures and efforts of Federal law enforcement and online providers in combating online sales of fentanyl. More specifically, the report will investigate business models, patterns, and techniques utilized by online fentanyl traffickers, the scope and effectiveness of existing Federal initiatives aimed at countering fentanyl sales, and existing enforcement mechanisms and processes employed by online providers to detect and report transactions. This report will conclude with an analysis of the outcomes of referrals to law enforcement agencies regarding online fentanyl sales, along with areas requiring improvement.
On behalf of the more than 373,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you both for your leadership on this issue. If I can provide any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President