WASHINGTON, DC – Today, in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped pass a bipartisan bill she co-sponsored to improve law enforcement’s ability to detect fentanyl. The bipartisan Detection Equipment and Technology Evaluation to Counter the Threat of (DETECT) Fentanyl and Xylazine Act would authorize the Department of Homeland Security to conduct research and development, testing, and evaluation on equipment that would help law enforcement at the border better detect fentanyl and other drugs in order to disrupt trafficking. In fiscal year 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 240,000 pounds of drugs at the southern border, which included an estimated 1.1 billion doses of fentanyl.
“At the southern border, I saw firsthand how CBP officers use technology to stop fentanyl and other drugs from coming into our country,” said Senator Rosen. “We need to ensure they always have the latest technology and best equipment to continue doing this important work, which is why I’m glad to have helped pass this bipartisan bill. I’ll keep working across party lines to make sure this bill becomes law.”
Senator Rosen has consistently worked across the aisle to secure the border and stop the flow of fentanyl. In April, the bipartisan FEND Off Fentanyl Act she backed was signed into law, requiring the President to sanction drug rings involved in international drug trafficking. Senator Rosen also voted to advance two bipartisan bills to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection resources to better detect illicit drugs like fentanyl and other contraband smuggled across the U.S. southern border. Earlier this year, her bipartisan END FENTANYL Act was signed into law, which will help crack down on drug smuggling.
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