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Lawmakers urge Mexico to curb fentanyl flow amid drug overdose epidemic

Senator John Cornyn has recently led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Mexico, where they met with the country’s president to discuss the concerning issue of fentanyl flowing into the United States.

In a recent statement, Senator Cornyn confirmed that the Mexican president had agreed to take further measures to prevent the deadly drug from crossing the border.

Accompanied by Representatives Henry Cuellar, Veronica Escobar, and Tony Gonzales, the Texas lawmakers addressed the alarming statistic that over 100,000 individuals across the United States had died from drug overdoses in the previous year.

Upon their return, Senators Cornyn and Ted Cruz grilled Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on several issues, including the soaring numbers of people who were crossing the southern border illegally and the fentanyl crisis. Senator Cornyn accused Mayorkas of carrying out policies of the Biden administration, while Senator Cruz suggested that Mayorkas should resign if he had any integrity.

Secretary Mayorkas, however, stood firm and emphasized that the Biden administration is committed to combating drug trafficking and is bringing unprecedented force to this fight. He also noted that the scourge of fentanyl is not new and has been a persistent issue for years.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics, there were 2,378,944 people who were encountered or found along the southern border in fiscal year 2022 (October 2021 through September 2022). Records from the first five months of fiscal year 2023 indicate that there have been 1,029,953 people encountered or found along the southern border.

Senator Cornyn remains hopeful that a bipartisan agreement to address the issue of illegal immigration is within reach, but emphasized that the House must pass a border security bill to start this process. He expressed his desire for the House Republican majority to act quickly, but estimated that it could take a couple of more months for them to do so.

In conclusion, the meeting between the bipartisan congressional delegation and the Mexican president marks a positive step towards addressing the fentanyl crisis and illegal immigration issue. While there is still much work to be done, the commitment of all parties involved to find a solution is encouraging.

Jordan Collins

Jordan is an experienced editor with years in the journalism and reporting industry. He loves talking with the community about the problems local residents face and state politics. You can find him in the gym almost every day or see him jogging.

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