SYRACUSE, NY— U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24), Ranking Member on the House Committee on Homeland Security, penned the following op-ed published on Syracuse.com outlining the need for stronger border security policies to curb the worsening opioid and heroin epidemic in Central New York.
Strengthen southern border to stop flow of heroin, fentanyl (Guest Opinion by Rep. John Katko)
Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard
June 7, 2021
By Rep. John Katko
Central New Yorkers unfortunately know all too well the pain, grief, and agony caused by the heroin and opioid epidemic. We have witnessed the lives lost due to these deadly substances, and we know the families who continue to see their loves ones struggle. In recent years and especially during the pandemic, we’ve seen tragic spikes in overdose deaths frequently caused by the smuggling of ultra-pure forms of heroin or fatal combinations of heroin and potent drugs like fentanyl.
Addressing the heroin and synthetic drug crisis has long been among my top priorities. Before serving Central New York in Congress I led high-level drug trafficking prosecutions and served as the Narcotics Chief and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of New York, keeping these dangerous substances off our streets. And for the past 6 and a half years in Congress, I’ve focused extensively on combating the opioid and heroin epidemic in Central New York by championing bills that crack down on drug trafficking, expand treatment options for those suffering from substance use disorders, and combat the devastating synthetic drug crisis plaguing our communities.
Earlier this year, when I was named the lead Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security, I was presented with an opportunity to focus on these efforts from a new vantage point. Our nation faces a crisis on our southern border that not only poses a clear threat to our national security, but also threatens to enflame the worsening opioid and heroin crisis in Central New York.
During a recent trip to the southern border, I spoke with local law enforcement and border patrol agents and saw firsthand how our nation’s weakened border security is emboldening drug traffickers and cartels, allowing more heroin and fentanyl to be smuggled into our country and eventually making its way into our communities.
Anecdotal evidence aside, the drug trafficking statistics are alarming. According to Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), from March to April of this year, heroin seizures are up 97%. And fentanyl seizures in fiscal year 2021 are have already surpassed all fentanyl seizures in fiscal year 2020, with nearly 1,000 pounds of the substance confiscated along the southern border through April of this year. We know from accounts by local Drug Enforcement Agents and investigative reporting done by the Post-Standard that drugs smuggled through the southern border have already poured into our community. Creating easier routes for cartels to use in smuggling these drugs can only serve to fuel the local opioid and heroin epidemic.
Drug trafficking and the opioid and heroin epidemic don’t discriminate based on race, creed, or gender. The impact is felt by urban, suburban, and rural communities governed by both Republicans and Democrats. Addressing the border crisis and stopping drug trafficking is a national issue, not a partisan one. And it’s one that we’re all too familiar with right here in Central New York. From January to September 2020 in Onondaga County alone, there were 121 overdose deaths. This is higher than all of 2019.
More broadly, an unsecure border has far-reaching national security implications. Security lapses on the border create opportunities for gangs, cartels, and terrorists to carry out violence. Look no further than Long Island where MS-13 gang members, working in conjunction with their leaders in El Salvador, were recently indicted on charges of drug trafficking, extortion, and for the brutal murders of over 55 people.
To deal with this crisis, as Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Committee I support taking a comprehensive approach. I’m working to develop legislation to deploy practical technology and barriers to thwart cartels and more effectively track smuggling routes.
But we also should have a cleareyed view. This crisis was worsened because of President Biden’s undoing of commonsense border security policies through executive orders. These directives have received criticism from both parties, including from Democrats like the Mayor of Del Rio, Texas, the Mayor of a border-city who spoke at a forum the Homeland Security Committee recently hosted. He spoke to his firsthand knowledge of the criminal activity that is enabled through weakened border security, and has called on the President to reverse the executive orders that created this crisis. Unfortunately, instead of heeding these calls, President Biden has pulled border patrol agents protecting our northern border off their posts to assist the overwhelmed southern border, a nonsensical move that creates dangerous security gaps that reach far beyond the border and into Central New York.
We do not address the border crisis, combat the flow of dangerous drugs, and strengthen our national security by diverting border patrol staff. We need to reinstate the policies that were working.
Much of my life’s work has been dedicated to stopping the flow of deadly drugs. Today, while many of the circumstances have changed, my mission has largely remained the same. In the interest of combating the opioid and heroin epidemic in Central New York, as the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee I will use this new platform to continue leading efforts to fight back against drug traffickers and advocate for secure borders.
If you or a loved one is struggling with a substance use disorder, I’d encourage you to contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration National Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information services.
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ICYMI Rep. John Katko: Strengthen Southern Border to Stop Flow of Heroin, Fentanyl - Congressman John Katko
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