WASHINGTON — Drug dealers who distribute fentanyl that results in a fatal overdose could face the death penalty or life in prison under a new Republican-led bill introduced in Congress.
The “Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act of 2025,” spearheaded by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), seeks to amend federal murder statutes to include fentanyl distribution resulting in death as first-degree felony murder. The bill targets individuals who knowingly distribute two grams or more of fentanyl—or as little as half a gram of a fentanyl analogue—that leads to someone’s death.
Gonzales said the legislation aims to send a clear and powerful message to those fueling the opioid crisis.
“Our law enforcement agencies are in overdrive combatting the drug epidemic in America,” Gonzales said in a statement. “It’s time to take action and up the penalties for fentanyl dealers. If you sell the drug and take an innocent life, justice will be delivered.”
The proposal would expand the U.S. Code’s murder statute to treat fentanyl-related deaths similarly to those resulting from child abuse or sexual assault, adding specific language to classify the act as federal murder punishable by the harshest penalties available.
The legislation defines “distributing fentanyl” as knowingly supplying a mixture with a detectable amount of the drug or its analogues that causes a fatal overdose. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Mexican cartels—often sourcing precursor chemicals from China—are primarily responsible for the surge in fentanyl trafficking across the southern border.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin, is now the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. While the CDC reported a slight nationwide decrease in overdose deaths earlier this year, the highly potent drug continues to claim tens of thousands of lives annually. It is commonly mixed with other substances—often without the user’s knowledge—making even small doses deadly.
States have already started passing similar laws. Arizona, for example, recently charged a woman under a state statute that makes selling fentanyl leading to death a felony offense.
Gonzales’ bill is the latest federal effort to ramp up accountability for drug dealers as lawmakers and advocates continue to grapple with the ongoing overdose crisis.
