Bill cracking down on fentanyl traffickers advances in Senate

(The Center Square) – Law enforcement officers are one step closer to gaining more crackdown enforcement on fentanyl and drug trafficking, with the U.S. Senate on Thursday  advancing the HALT Fentanyl Act to a final vote.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., will permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act. It will also result in harsher sentences for drug traffickers of fentanyl-related substances.

Schedule I drugs, such as heroin and LSD, are classified as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Fentanyl is currently a Schedule II drug, meaning it is highly addictive but has legitimate medical uses, such as pain management for certain medical procedures.

Although fentanyl is illegal nation-wide, traffickers get around the law by making slightly altered versions of the drug, which are still highly potent but chemically modified just enough to avoid being classified as fentanyl.

The HALT Fentanyl Act would codify actions taken by the Drug Enforcement Administration under President Donald Trump in 2018, when fentanyl-related substances were temporarily banned. That ban was set to expire on March 31 unless new legislation makes it permanent.

The Trump administration and the National Sheriff’s Association have endorsed the legislation.

Opponents of the legislation, including the 12 Democratic senators who voted against moving the act forward, argue it could exacerbate racial prejudice in the justice system. They also argue that the fentanyl crisis should be addressed through the lens of public health, not criminal justice.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol's fentanyl seizures increased 31% nationwide from August to September, according to reports, and had a total of nearly 22,000 pounds of fentanyl seized in fiscal year 2024.