In a letter sent today to Arizona’s Congressional delegation, Attorney General Kris Mayes urged Congress to provide funding to install scanners that work to detect fentanyl at the border and prevent it from entering the country. This non-intrusive technology is now sitting unused in warehouses instead of being used to detect and intercept the deadly drug.
“The failure of Congress to fund the installation of this much-needed technology is irresponsible and negligent,” said Attorney General Mayes. “Congress needs to get its act together and fast because Arizona lives are at risk. My office will continue to fight the drug cartels aggressively, but we need our elected representatives to step up and do their part to protect our communities, too.”
Arizona has been flooded with cheap and deadly fentanyl in recent years – with over half of the fentanyl seized in the United States in 2022 being seized in Arizona. Worse still, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimates that nearly 70% of fentanyl pills contain a fatal dose of the drug.
“Because of the actions of the Mexican drug cartels, Arizona now serves as the fentanyl funnel for the rest of the nation,” continued Mayes. “This devastating public health crisis has wrecked communities, harmed families, and pushed drug overdose deaths to astronomical heights. It is ridiculous that technology that would help prevent the flow of this drug into our country sits unused because of Congressional inaction.”
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