VIDEO: AG Moody Calls on President Biden to Stop the Influx of Fentanyl at the Nation's Out-of-Control Southwest Border

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—On the one-year anniversary of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, Attorney General Ashley Moody demands that the president secure the border to help end the national opioid crisis. The president’s illegal immigration policies have allowed a skyrocketing amount of fentanyl into the country, as deaths from opioids continue to increase nationwide. According to drug seizure statistics published by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the amount of fentanyl seized at the southwest border increased 53% during the first 10 months of President Biden’s administration compared to the same time period in 2020.

According to a recent report, fentanyl overdoses are now the number one cause of death among U.S. adults, ages 18 to 45—surpassing deaths by COVID-19, cancer and car accidents. With illicit fentanyl flooding over the southwest border, action must be taken now to ensure Floridians’ safety.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “It’s no secret that President Biden’s immigration policies are an unmitigated disaster, but it now appears that Biden’s abdication of his duty at our southwest border is allowing criminals to smuggle even larger amounts of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our country—fueling the nation’s deadly opioid crisis.

“According to data available from Biden’s first year in office, enough fentanyl has been seized to kill the entire U.S. population six times over—it is terrifying to imagine how much of this extremely deadly drug is being trafficked into our country undetected. That is why I am demanding that the president do his job, secure our southwest border immediately and protect the American people.”

Drug seizure statistics provided by CBP reflect that 8,774 pounds of fentanyl—a deadly synthetic opioid—was seized from the southwest border from February to November 2021, compared to 5,734 pounds seized during the same time period in 2020, a 53% increase.

Attorney General Moody is calling on President Biden and congressional leaders to fix the border crisis in a letter sent today. To read the full letter, click here.

In June 2021, Attorney General Moody joined Gov. Ron DeSantis as the Governor announced that the state would send law enforcement officers to help control the border. Attorney General Moody met with officials at the nation’s southwest border last July to support Florida’s law enforcement officers and receive critical briefings regarding the influx of deadly drugs and cartel members coming over the nation’s border.

As part of Attorney General Moody’s job to protect Floridians, the Attorney General has taken legal action against the Biden administration for ignoring federal immigration law, by failing to determine the valid basis for migrants crossing the border and releasing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants into the interior United States. To learn more, click here.

Attorney General Moody is committed to fighting the opioid epidemic that is still claiming 21 lives in Florida each day. Attorney General Moody recently announced the finalization of two separate multimillion-dollar opioid settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers. The Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution continues to secure lengthy prison sentences for opioid traffickers selling dangerous drugs throughout Florida.

In May 2021, Attorney General Moody urged congressional leaders to enact the Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting Fentanyl Act. The act, filed by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, will permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs. To learn more about the letter, click here.

In addition, Attorney General Moody developed the Dose of Reality Florida website as a one-stop resource for Floridians to learn about the dangers of opioid misuse, how to receive support for addiction and where to drop off unused prescription drugs. To learn more about Dose of Reality Florida, click here.