ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Amidst political rhetoric blaming illegal immigrants for the U.S. drug crisis, a new report highlights a different reality: fentanyl is predominantly smuggled by U.S. citizens for U.S. citizens.
The Cato Institute, a public policy organization, analyzed data on fentanyl smuggling and trafficking using the Freedom of Information Act. Their findings show that in 2021, more than 86% of convicted fentanyl drug traffickers were U.S. citizens, which is ten times the rate of convictions for illegal immigrants.
Moreover, more than 90% of fentanyl seizures occur at legal crossing points or interior vehicle checkpoints, rather than along illegal migration routes. According to Cato, this is logical since ports of entry are 97% less likely to intercept hard drugs than those crossing illegally between ports. Additionally, only 0.02% of people arrested by Border Patrol for illegal crossings were found in possession of fentanyl.
“Reducing deaths requires figuring out the cause, not jumping to blame a group that is not responsible,” Cato wrote in its report. “Instead of attacking immigrants, policymakers should focus on effective solutions that help people at risk of a fentanyl overdose.”
