Buckeye Reporter

Bernie Moreno, a U.S. Senate Candidate in Ohio, stated that fentanyl is entering the U.S. through the southern border and causing American deaths, dubbing it the "number-one drug-related threat." Moreno communicated this assertion to the Buckeye Reporter on May 21.

"Claiming the lives of thousands of Americans, fentanyl is the number-one drug-related threat to our nation," said Moreno, US Senate Candidate in Ohio. "Thanks to Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown's border invasion, illicit fentanyl is flowing through our wide-open southern border and poisoning our communities. Time and time again, Brown has voted against funding the border wall which would help stop fentanyl from being brought across our border. It is critical that we secure our border to combat this crisis, stop the flow of fentanyl, and save American lives from this deadly threat."

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment, fentanyl has been identified as the deadliest drug in American history. It has claimed the lives of 38,000 Americans in just "the first sixth months of 2023 alone." The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have facilitated the presence of fentanyl in nearly all 50 US states by producing it in Mexico and smuggling it into the United States. This illicit activity generates "billions of dollars in profits from the fentanyl trade." The operations of these cartels cover every stage of the supply chain: sourcing precursor chemicals, manufacturing drugs, and managing logistics through a network that includes international shippers, transporters, corrupt officials, tunnel builders, shell companies, and money launderers.

The DEA explains that fentanyl is penetrating America by being concealed within other illegal substances such as cocaine and heroin. Manufacturers often camouflage fentanyl to resemble regular prescription drugs. A DEA laboratory analysis from 2023 stated that "approximately 7 in 10 fake pills contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl (approximately 2 milligrams)", leading Americans to unknowingly ingest lethal amounts of fentanyl under the assumption they are consuming legitimate prescription medication.

Insight Crime reports that annually, Mexico produces 4.5 tons of pure fentanyl and 434 tons of methamphetamine "in order to meet the demand of the US consumption market." The cost for chemical components ranges between $9 million and $22.5 million for fentanyl production and between $83.3 million and $126.5 million for methamphetamine production. Investigations have revealed that the chemical precursors to these synthetic drugs are imported from China through entities such as the Zheng drug trafficking organizations.

Moreno, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Ohio this November, was born in Columbia and immigrated to the United States, becoming a citizen at age 18, according to his website. His prior experience includes working in the auto industry and serving as Chairman of the Board of ChampTitles.