As Fentanyl Deaths Skyrocket, WH Press Sec Falsely Claims Biden Has Brought Fentanyl At Border To ‘Historic Lows’

During Tuesday’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre falsely claimed that “fentanyl at the border” was at “historic lows,” despite the fact that drug overdoses caused by fentanyl are at a record high level and has primarily been smuggled into the United States through the southern border. 

As the Mexican cartels have become the primary source of fentanyl in the United States, the seizures of the drug by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have proportionately increased. In fiscal year 2022, more than triple the amount of fentanyl was seized by CBP than in fiscal year 2020 – following the trend of skyrocketing deaths from fentanyl overdoses. So far in fiscal year 2023, which began in October 2022 and does not yet account for February 2023 or March 2023, fentanyl seizures have already almost reached the amount seen in the entirety of fiscal year 2022. 

Despite the facts, Jean-Pierre claimed that Biden has brought fentanyl at the border to historic lows.

“Because of the work that this President has done, because of what we’ve done specifically on fentanyl at the border, it’s at historic lows — historic levels that we have been able to record a number of personnel working to secure the border because of what we’ve been able to do, seizing that fentanyl.  We’ve done it in a historic way.  That’s because of what this President has done,” she said. “I just talked about 23,000 federal agents that have been able to be — that we’ve been able to hire and put at the border to secure the border.”

“On top of that, historic sanctions going after traffickers and other financiers are helping disrupt fentanyl supply chains throughout their flow to the U.S.,” Jean-Pierre added. “And we’ll — we — we’re really expanded access to treatments like — that are saving lives, if you think about it, which prevent overdoses, expanding as — as are fentanyl test strips.  And through the removal of the X-Waiver, anyone registered to prescribe controlled medications can now prescribe lifesaving medication to treat addiction.”

Karine Jean-Pierre claims success in the fight against fentanyl “because of the work that this president has done.”

Overdoses, fueled by a surge in fentanyl, is the number one killer of Americans ages 18 to 45. pic.twitter.com/d1Rzd0OWGn

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 7, 2023