No.
More than 85% of fentanyl drug traffickers convicted in the U.S. in 2023 were American citizens, a proportion on par with previous years. The Cato Institute, a conservative leaning think-tank, found that less than 0.01% of those arrested for illegal border crossing in 2022 possessed fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that was responsible for more than 74,000 overdose deaths across the U.S. in 2023 alone. It is most often produced abroad—originally in China and now other countries, including Mexico—and trafficked into the United States.
In the first five months of fiscal year 2024, more than 13,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl were seized by law enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border, resulting in more than 2,000 arrests. About 90% of seizures are made at ports of entry.
This brief responds to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- United States Sentencing Commission, Fentanyl Trafficking
- Cato Institute, U.S. Citizens Were 89% of Convicted Fentanyl Traffickers in 2022
- Center for Disease Control, U.S. Overdose Deaths Decrease in 2023, First Time Since 2018
- Department of Homeland Security, Fact Sheet: President’s State of the Union Highlights DHS Efforts on the Front Lines Combating Illicit Opioids, Including Fentanyl
- Customs and Border Protection, Strategy to Combat Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Drugs
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
