January 11, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 11, 2023 

Contact: Sasha Galbreath, Sasha.Galbreath@mail.house.gov 

Congressman David Trone Releases Statement on President Biden’s Visit to Mexico and the Southern Border

Congressman Trone served as the co-chair of the U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking alongside Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), and currently serves as a co-chair of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force

Congressman David Trone (D-MD) released the following statement on President Biden’s visit to Mexico and the Southern Border: 

“I applaud President Biden for his visit to Mexico this week and his continued focus on the opioid crisis hammering our communities. During his visit, I firmly urged the President to encourage further cooperation with Mexican officials to stem the flow of fentanyl across our Southern Border. Last year, over 108,000 Americans died from drug overdoses – over 75% of which were caused by the synthetic opioid fentanyl. As of March 2021, fentanyl is the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45. This epidemic is not limited to just the incomprehensible human cost, but also the significant impact on our economy, estimated to be $1.5 trillion a year according to the Joint Economic Committee.

“Amid this unprecedented loss of life, cartels in Mexico have only increased the manufacturing of illicit fentanyl, often in the form of counterfeit pills marketed on the streets as Adderall and Vicodin. Just last month, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced that in 2022 alone, the agency seized over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, counterfeit prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. These seizures represent more than 379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl. It’s clear that what we’re doing now is not enough.

“Progress on this issue starts with us, at the highest levels of our respective governments. From my experience co-leading the U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking with Senator Tom Cotton, and leading a delegation to Mexico with members of the DEA and ONDCP, I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by President Obrador’s administration in their pursuit to stop this vicious drug – but with so many lives on the line, failure is not an option. By working together to increase our intelligence capabilities and seizures of fentanyl across the border and – equally important – our efforts to combat demand in our own communities, I am confident that we can put a dent in this epidemic.

“For many of us who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, saving innocent lives from this epidemic is what matters most. It’s time we put pride and partisanship on the shelf to do just that.”

In October 2022, Congressman Trone wrote a letter to the Mexican Ambassador calling for global cooperation to stem the manufacturing and trafficking of fentanyl and its precursors into the United States.

The Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking was authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020. The Commission was charged with examining all aspects of the synthetic drug threat to the United States and with producing interim and final reports that articulate a bipartisan strategic approach to combat the flow of synthetic drugs into the United States, which have been a driver of overdose deaths in America for the past several years. The Commission was comprised of fifteen members from the Executive and Legislative Branches as well as the general public. Congressman Trone (D-MD), who led a delegation to Mexico in November 2021, and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) were elected co-chairs of the Commission. You can read its final report here.

Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. In Congress, Trone is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the mental health and addiction crises, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.

Follow Congressman Trone at @RepDavidTrone for updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.