Congressman Bill Huizenga is calling for more border security and sanctions to stop fentanyl deaths in Michigan. The republican’s action comes days after a series of overdoes on the state’s southwest side.
On April 13, 2023 the City of Kalamazoo saw more than a dozen fentanyl overdoes and five deaths occur in just 24 hours.
Additionally, around a month ago, Michigan State Police obtained four kilos of fentanyl during a bust in Van Buren County.
Huizenga is calling on the Biden Administration to levy more sanctions aimed at stopping illegal fentanyl from entering the country.
“Preventing this poison from entering our communities requires Republicans and Democrats working together to both secure our border and stop this deadly drug at its source,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “I encourage the Biden Administration to levy further sanctions on Chinese companies supporting the deadly drug trade in Mexico. Here at home, Congress must lead the effort to secure our southern border by ensuring those tasked with restoring border integrity have the resources, technology, and personnel necessary to stop fentanyl from entering the United States and reaching Southwest Michigan.”
Huizenga's words also come after recent movement by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Last week it announced sanctions against two entities in China and five individuals, based in China and Guatemala. The Department said those sanctioned supplied precursor chemicals to a drug cartel in Mexico, aimed at producing illegal fentanyl for U.S. markets.
The sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) will result in the following: all property and interests in property of the designated individuals and entities that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.
