Biden calls for bigger penalties, more controls to fight US fentanyl crisis

31/7/2024 17:49

        President Joe Biden plans on Wednesday to call for larger penalties for drug smugglers and stricter controls on pill presses and importers as part of new steps to deal with the U.S. opioid crisis, according to a senior administration official.
        
        The efforts come as illicit fentanyl becomes a potent issue for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is poised to clinch the Democratic nomination for the Nov. 5 election. Fentanyl overdoses have surged to become the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 and over 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023.
        
        The lethal narcotic is trafficked into the United States, often across the porous U.S.-Mexico border, and easily manufactured from chemicals sourced in China.
        Biden will direct federal agencies to do more on collecting intelligence, coordination to disrupt trafficking and working with the private sector on counter-narcotics, according to the official, who declined to be named.