Posted on 05/21/2021 8:08:37 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
An official with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection told members of Congress Wednesday that fentanyl seizures at the United States-Mexico border have increased by 308% in the fiscal year 2021.
Troy Miller, the senior official performing the duties of commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, appeared before the House Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee to discuss the continued surge in crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border and the resources that CBP needs to respond to the situation and carry out its duties effectively.
Members of the committee asked Miller questions about various topics, including the seizure of illegal drugs by CBP officials.
“Our fentanyl seizures are up 308% in fiscal year ‘21,” Miller said.
He also noted that heroin seizures have increased by 14%, cocaine seizures have increased by 100%, and methamphetamine seizures have increased by 20% in the same period.
Miller shared the statistics regarding drug seizures following a question from Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., about “the huge gaping holes in our southern border where we don’t know what’s coming over.”
According to Palazzo, “The COVID pandemic obviously did not keep the cartels from working overtime.”
He cited statistics finding that in the fiscal year 2020, CBP seized “[58,000] pounds of Cocaine, 5,700 pounds of heroin, 177,000 pounds of methamphetamine and 4,700 pounds of fentanyl.”
As Palazzo noted, the amount of fentanyl seized by CBP last year “is enough to kill every American two times over.”
The congressman also expressed concern that “as our CBP agents and others are misdirected,” criminals and hard narcotics have an easier time entering the country.
As the amount of drugs seized at the border continues to increase, the number of encounters between immigration officials and migrants continues to rise.
CBP Data shows that more than 178,000 migrants were apprehended at the southwest border in April, marking a 3% increase from March, when 173,348 people were apprehended.
So far, in the fiscal year 2021, which began last October, there have been 749,613 encounters at the southwest border. In all of the fiscal year 2020, there were just 458,088 such encounters. In all of the fiscal year 2019, there were over 977,000 encounters.
Critics of President Joe Biden attribute the surge in border crossings to actions taken by the new administration to reverse the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including his rescission of the former president’s national emergency at the border, the reversal of a policy requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their claims are adjudicated and the suspension of construction of the border wall.
While Biden’s critics have blamed the president for the surge in crossings at the border, some contend that the rise in border crossings is consistent with a pattern of seasonal changes combined with a backlog created by the border's closing during the pandemic.
Former President George W. Bush pointed the finger at Congress for the situation during a recent appearance on Fox News.
He alleged that “the system is broken because Congress has failed to act.”
California Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, who heads the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, argued in March that Biden's "words and actions" have “given a haphazard and de facto green light to human traffickers around the world to apply their profane trade on the dreams of the most vulnerable.”
The border surge led to overcrowding at shelters that hold unaccompanied minors who cross the border illegally.
The crowding at CBP facilities, including a facility in Donna, Texas, came as the U.S. continued to grapple with the coronavirus. While the “pods” in the Donna facility had capacities of 260 people, one pod held more than 400 unaccompanied children at one point during the border surge.
The overcrowding at the Donna facility and other similar locations raised concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, as migrants tested for the virus earlier this year had a higher positivity rate than the American public as a whole.
In Brownsville, Texas, migrant families tested had a 12% positivity rate. At the time, the positivity rate among the American public at large was 3.5%. A group of migrants who arrived at a shelter in Harlingen, Texas, in February reportedly had a 25% positivity rate.
The border crisis has seemingly reflected negatively on the Biden administration. A Real Clear Politics average of polls taken over the past month shows that most Americans (51%) express disapproval of the president’s handling of immigration policy.
At the same time, the Real Clear Politics average of polls shows that a majority of the American people (53%) approve of Biden’s performance as president overall.
this is an evil drug, and those that allow it
should pay the same price as their victims.
The ChiCom proxy war via the Cartels continues unabated.
There was a “supply problem” due to the Trump administration’s border enforcement, the wall, and then covid lockdowns. The smugglers are trying to resupply quickly, thus more seizures. If you ask me, it’s got nothing to do with more effective methods but just greater volume of drugs crossing the border during this period.
Biden Administration:
Trump’s fault...
Rinse, repeat...
RE: There was a “supply problem” due to the Trump administration’s border enforcement, the wall, and then covid lockdowns
How many percent of fentanyl in the USA come across the Mexican border and how many come from smuggling from other countries?
Three times as many George Floyd deaths.
LOL, I couldn’t tell you for sure. I don’t study drugs so much, just an armchair student of markets and market dynamics.
But my understanding is most of it comes from Mexico, but either made in China or the materials to make it come from China and processed in Mexico. Same with Meth. Cocaine obviously comes from Colombia through Mexico because land route is easier than by sea and the border is, what, 2000 miles long? Lots of holes to smuggle through. Then again, I recall reading an article where they busted a ship, I think in Philly, carrying the largest drug seizure in history. Ship was owned or financed by a JP Morgan subsidiary or something like that.
If I were to be a drug smuggler though, I’d try to get it to Canada and then smuggle it south. Fewer eyes looking.
Remember when Trump said the border crossers where not good people?
He called them law breakers, and some where murderers, drug smugglers and human traffickers.
Then the DNCMedia lied about it to say Trump called all Mexicans murderers, drug smugglers and human traffickers.
Yeah, he was right.
All of the “victims” are volunteers.
This is a self correcting problem.
Is the Big Guy getting a piece of the Cartel action?
“The COVID pandemic obviously did not keep the cartels from working overtime.”
No one was following lock down rules.
Imagine Cuomo telling a few dozen banditos holding AK's that they need to wear masks and not eat indoors.
soon from the Biden spin machine:
“since being elected, my efforts at the border have led to an 308% increase in drug seizures of over the bad orange man”
It’s all about the drug cartels.
Isn’t it obvious the democrats are corrupt?
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