Texas Governor Greg Abbott is signing a bill establishing a ten year mandatory minimum for those caught with at least four grams of fentanyl. Abbott told reporters in Houston today state troopers have seized enough fentanyl this year to kill everyone in Texas and California combined. The governor says drug dealers are adding fentanyl to other drugs like ecstasy before selling it to others. Those caught with more than 200 grams of fentanyl will get 15 years while those with more than 400 will get 20 years behind bars.
Fentanyl has led to a dramatic rise in overdoses in recent years. Last year, deaths from drug overdoses skyrocketed to 93,000, which was driven by the rise of fentanyl. This year alone, the Texas Department of Public Safety has seized enough fentanyl to kill every person in Texas and California combined — a 950% increase compared to last year. A majority of fentanyl is entering the state of Texas through the southern border.
"We have a duty to fight back against the scourge that is fentanyl in our communities, which is why I proudly signed Senate Bill 768 into law," said Governor Abbott. "The Biden Administration's open border policies have opened the floodgates for this deadly drug to make its way into our communities, but we are taking action to stop this epidemic. By cracking down on the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl, we will help save lives here in Texas and across America."