U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited the Southern Tier Crime Analysis Center on Friday to introduce a bill aiming to designate international fentanyl trafficking as a national emergency.
The bill, expected to disrupt the operations of major drug cartels, would strengthen sanctions and enhance prosecution chances against lawbreakers.
Gillibrand highlighted that last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration confiscated 379 million lethal doses of fentanyl, most of which was manufactured in Mexico using materials from China.
Binghamton Police Captain David Bidwell hailed the legislation, calling it a crucial step in tackling the roots of the fentanyl problem. He stressed the importance of dismantling the manufacturing and distribution process of the synthetic opioid, working up from the precursors to the top of the drug supply chain.
Both Gillibrand and Bidwell emphasized the necessity of a more assertive stance towards the trafficking of such drugs into the U.S., hoping this would prevent further suffering for families affected by opioid addiction.
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