EXCLUSIVE: House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green is calling the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to offer up to date statistics at the choice of Americans who died from a perilous fentanyl overdose because the float of substances around the southern border has exacerbated the drug disaster national.
Green, R-Tenn., wrote to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky Wednesday difficult estimates on drug overdose deaths from 2022, in particular associated with fentanyl.
The CDC stated there have been over 72,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020 and roughly 107,000 in 2021.
“America’s southern border is a key vector for the influx of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances. Our border patrol officers are overwhelmed with the volume of encounters they are making, and our ports of entry are understaffed, creating ample opportunity for cartels to smuggle drugs into the country,” Green wrote.
BORDER PATROL SEIZES ENOUGH FENTANYL TO KILL 100 MILLION AMERICANS IN UNDER FIVE MONTHS
Texas government examine a suspected fentanyl lab Jan. 30, 2023. (Texas DPS)
“The latest provisional count provided by the CDC is from the 12-month period ending September 2022. It has now been five months since any new data has been published,” he endured. “This lack of timely data hinders the ability of Congress to gain a clear understanding of the drug epidemic and how it is evolving.”
The CDC didn’t straight away reply to Fox News Digital’s request for remark Wednesday on when the information with be supplied.
The committee held its first listening to Tuesday to inspect Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ function within the “border crisis.”
MOM WHO LOST SONS TO FENTANYL RIPS INTO LAWMAKERS IN EMOTIONAL HOUSE TESTIMONY: ‘THIS IS A WAR, ACT LIKE IT!’
Rebecca Kiessling testifies to Congress Feb. 28, 2023 in regards to the fentanyl epidemic. (Screenshot)
One witness, Rebecca Kiessling who misplaced her sons Caleb and Kyler to fentanyl poisoning in 2020, gave emotional testimony and steered lawmakers to do so. She stated she have been advised that the drug which killed them got here around the southern border.
“This is a war, act like it! Do something,” she exclaimed.
“The Mayorkas border crisis is enriching cartels and human traffickers. Violent cartel and gang activity is significantly increasing throughout the United States, and illegal drugs continue to pour over the border in massive quantities,” Green stated all through the listening to.
NEW ‘FRANKENSTEIN’ OPIOIDS MORE DANGEROUS THAN FENTANYL ALARMING STATE LEADERS ACROSS US AS DRUG CRISIS RAGES
U.S. Customs and Border Protection brokers seized over 1.2 million fentanyl drugs between two busts on Dec. 29. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
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Fentanyl is essentially made in Mexico the usage of Chinese precursors and smuggled around the land border. It is essentially intercepted thru ports of access by means of CBP’s Office of Field Operations as smugglers try to carry it to the rustic of their automobiles, however additionally it is on occasion stopped by means of Border Patrol brokers within the box.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this record.
