Left: Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., May 20, 2025. Right: Over 1.2 million fentanyl pills, which were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst and U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
The secretary said that "more than 40 percent of Americans reportedly know someone who has died from an opioid overdose, and in 2024, the United States averaged over 220 overdose deaths daily."
"Today’s action expands upon existing tools," he said, adding that the State Department "will use all necessary tools to deter and dismantle the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs from entering the United States and harming U.S. citizens."
Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that is often trafficked into the United States across the southern and northern borders by cartels and other criminal elements. In 2024, fentanyl was linked to the deaths of 48,422 persons in the United States, according to the CDC.
During his campaign, President Donald Trump vowed to wage a war against fentanyl traffickers through increased border security and by cracking down on illegal immigration. Since taking office, Trump has deployed U.S. troops to the southern border, targeted cartels and transnational criminal groups as "foreign terrorist organizations" and hit cartel leaders with sanctions.
LIBERAL NEWS OUTLET MOCKED FOR REPORTING ON ‘MYSTERIOUS’ DROP IN FENTANYL FLOWING ACROSS BORDER
Bondi described fentanyl as a weapon of "mass destruction" and laid down a stern warning to drug pushers looking to distribute the potentially deadly drug throughout the nation. (Pool)
Bondi described fentanyl as a weapon of "mass destruction" and laid down a stern warning to drug pushers looking to distribute the potentially deadly drug throughout the nation.
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"When we catch you like all of these individuals, if convicted, we will put you behind bars. There will be no negotiating and we will lock you up for as long as humanly possible," Bondi said. "We will not negotiate with those who are killing our family members, including brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, parents, friends, everyone in this room."
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rubio-announces-new-visa-restrictions-families-fentanyl-traffickers