Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has reintroduced legislation making the sale or distribution of fentanyl that results in the death of users a capital offense or a life sentence.
In other words, a fentanyl dealer convicted of selling or distributing the notoriously deadly drug can expect the death penalty or life in prison if the fentanyl they sold killed someone.
Rep. Gosar issued a statement announcing the bill, denouncing the Biden Administration for fomenting the border crisis that allowed so much fentanyl to enter the United States.
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"During the Biden administration, more than 80,000 pounds of fentanyl has flooded into our nation," Rep. Gosar began, adding, "The fentanyl crisis has strained our healthcare system and touched every community across the country, including in my great state of Arizona. For example, the largest single fentanyl bust in history recently took place in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. Those arrested included a leader of a Mexican drug cartel. Whether it's from China or Mexico, the criminal networks are producing, transporting, and marketing these drugs and are poisoning America."
The Arizona Congressman noted the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) statistics suggesting fentanyl overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45, with 105,000 deaths caused by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl in 2023 alone.
"I laud President Trump's recent designation of deadly cartels trafficking drugs into our country as terrorist groups and calling for the death penalty for those who sell illicit drugs, including fentanyl," Gosar continued. "As a result of President Trump's war against drug dealers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts a 26.5% national decline in drug overdose deaths from the previous year when Biden was last in office."
Gosar concludes by saying that "More should and can be done to support President Trump's efforts to stem the flow of deadly drugs into the United States. That's why I have once again reintroduced the Death Penalty for Dealing Fentanyl Act, legislation authorizing capital punishment or life imprisonment for any individual convicted of distributing, possessing with the intent to distribute, or manufacture fentanyl that resulted in death."
