Congresswoman Harriet Hageman introduced the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, which will require pill presses to be engraved with a serial number to help law enforcement combat counterfeit and fentanyl-laced pills, while also targeting cartels. This legislation is both bipartisan and bicameral, with Rep. Stansbury (D-NM), Fry (R-SC), Crenshaw (R-TX), and Harder (D-CA) co-leading in the House of Representatives and Senators Cornyn (R-TX), Coons (D-DE), Moran (R-KS), Klobuchar (D-MN), and Cantwell (D-WA) introducing the Senate version.
Representative Hageman stated, “The scourge of deadly fentanyl pouring over our borders has claimed the lives of far too many of our family members and friends. Law enforcement is seizing more fentanyl-laced pills, and the vast majority of pills contain lethal doses of fentanyl. By requiring an engraved serial number, law enforcement can better track presses back to the cartels and traffickers producing these deadly drugs.”
“Fentanyl disguised as medication is killing young people across our country, and it is critical we keep working to stop the flow of this lethal drug into the United States,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM). “I am proud to have co-led this bill to stop the process at the beginning – by serializing pill presses used to make deadly and illegal fentanyl-laced pills.”
“Fentanyl poisoning has taken the lives of countless Americans, including many South Carolinians,” said Representative Fry. “I am proud to work with my colleagues to develop a solution and introduce the Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act. Too many families have lost a loved one to fentanyl poisoning, and I am committed to doing all that I can in Congress to crack down on drug cartels and drug traffickers to protect our communities.”
“For the safety of our communities, it’s imperative that we give law enforcement the ability to trace these illicit pill presses moving across borders. This legislation will allow officers to better understand the criminal supply chain,” said Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Congressional Task Force to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels. “Serializing pill presses will also give them better tools to effectively catch and prosecute cartels who use this equipment to disguise deadly drugs and exploit our children for profit.”
“The fentanyl epidemic is killing our community. We have to use every tool available to stop criminals from selling this stuff. One tool we have is taking down the counterfeit pill industry,” said Rep. Harder. “These drug dealers make lethal pills by using imported or illegally obtained pill presses – this bill cuts off that supply and makes it easier for law enforcement to catch these heartless criminals. Simply put: less supply means thousands of lives saved.”
Background:
Pill presses cut and brand prescription drugs and are used by legitimate pharmaceutical companies, but drug traffickers, including the Mexican cartels, have acquired these machines to use dies and punches to make pills look like legitimate prescription medication, like oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall, when the pills actually contain fentanyl and other deadly drugs. In 2023, the DEA seized over 79 million fake pills containing fentanyl, a more than 33% increase from the year before. DEA laboratory testing currently indicates that 7 out of 10 pills contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl, an increase in lethality from prior years.
This legislation has been endorsed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Sergeants Benevolent NYPD, National District Attorneys Association, National HIDTA Directors Association, National Narcotics Officers Associations Coalition, Major County Sheriffs of America, and CPAC.
