Rose Confirms Majority of Illegal Drugs Smuggled Through Ports of Entry, Questions How Border Wall Would Help Combat Opioid Epidemic
Press Release
Click HERE to watch the full line of questioning.
In questioning at today's Committee on Homeland Security hearing with Secretary Kirstjen Neilsen, Congressman Max Rose confirmed that the vast majority of illegal drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, are smuggled across the border through ports of entry and through the mail, not between ports where border walls would be built.
After confirming with the Secretary of Homeland Security that more than 80 percent or more of illegal narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, that was seized came through ports of entry, Rose asked, "What are your priorities, based off that model, to address fentanyl streaming into our country and killing our kids?"
Secretary Neilsen responded, "So what we do, we look at it from a risk-based perspective, today's threats, but we also have to anticipate where the flows go tomorrow, which is why between the ports is concerning. As you know, we also look at the mail so we use the authorities we have to work to identify the fentanyl coming from China. We're working with China on--they have agreed to make illegal some of the precursors so fentanyl, so we're working there. We have border enforcement security teams throughout the nation where we work with state and locals on investigations to really get at the cartels and trafficking within the country. And then we work at the source through the National Targeting Center with our international partners to ensure as much as we can."
Rose concluded, "I did not hear you say, though, that my priority to prevent the children on Staten Island and throughout this country of dying from overdoses is the border wall. because that's what we have declared a state of emergency around."
According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, approximately 90 percent of heroin, 88 percent of cocaine, 86 percent of methamphetamine, and 80 percent of fentanyl that was seized by Customs and Border Protection was at ports of entry.
Last week, Rose voted to overturn President Trump's declaration of a national emergency on the Mexican border.
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