Congressman David Trone Leads Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking on Fact-Finding Mission to Mexico and Southern Border
Press Release
Last week, U.S. Congressman David Trone (MD-06) led the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking on a trip to Mexico and the southern border to help curb the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States. He was joined by the Director of National Drug Control Policy Dr. Rahul Gupta and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Chief of Operations Chris Evans.
According to CDC data released this morning, the United States experienced over 100,000 deaths due to opioids between April 2020 and April 2021. This represents the first time that drug-related deaths have reached six figures in any 12-month period.
In Maryland, opioid fatalities surged -- some counties experienced triple-digit increases last year. Across our state, over 90% of opioid-related deaths involve the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Over the course of the week, the Commission hosted discussions with key stakeholders in Mexico City and El Paso to develop strategies to reduce opioid trafficking across the United States' southern border. Commissioners met with Mexican and U.S. government officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, officials from Mexico's Attorney General's Office (FGR), and members of Mexico's security cabinet that included representatives from Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE), Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR), Secretariat for Security and Public Protection (SSPC), Mexico's National Guard, and representatives from the U.S. State Department, Customs and Border Protection, and Drug Enforcement Agency.
"The Commission's work is vital to both curtail the supply of synthetic opioids into our communities and, equally important, reduce the demand," said Congressman Trone. "We're fighting the opioid epidemic from every angle, and we will continue working in good faith with anyone willing to fight alongside us. I want to thank the government of Mexico for their hospitality and partnership, as well as the many Americans stationed domestically and abroad who work every day to reduce the flow of drugs and save lives."
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