The bipartisan bill would fund more than 100 state-of-the-art testing equipment to detect fentanyl at the U.S.-Mexico border.
WASHINGTON, DC — It's supposed to be a high-tech way to monitor fentanyl and other substances coming in across the US-Mexico border. But it's not enough to capture what's coming in. A bipartisan border bill heading to the Senate could change that.
As part of our Overdosed series, 10 Investigates profiled the multi-energy portal machine operating at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas. That was a year and a half ago. At the time, Customs and Border Protection had only one machine, a type of scanner that looked inside luggage at airports. CBP is looking to install more to cover all lanes of traffic entering the United States.
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Our partners at KPNX just visited Nogales, a border town in Arizona where scanner installation has been held up due to a lack of funding. The new funding will enable the installation of 50 scanners. President Biden has requested funding from Congress for more than 100 state-of-the-art testing equipment to detect and stop fentanyl at the Southwest border.
Dr Rahul Gupta, director of the National Narcotics Control Policy Bureau, said that while only 5% of cars are currently scanned, these new machines, when rolled out across the board, would make a huge dent in the fentanyl problem.
“We are strategically placed in locations to detect and disrupt smuggling to the greatest extent possible. This is possible. This is how we do it. Our goal is to reach all ports of entry, all legal And that's why it's going to take time. This is why the president is asking Congress to act now.”
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He added that it could take six to 24 months to prepare the facilities, which are part of a 1P2 billion funding request to the Department of Homeland Security.
“Ultimately, this is about protecting American lives and saving American lives from deadly drugs coming through our borders.”
All of our reporting, from the border to right here at home, can be found through our Overdose series.
