U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) recently sponsored bipartisan legislation that aims to combat the fentanyl crisis by creating fentanyl and precursor chemical destruction facilities in three critical drug trafficking choke points: Mexico, Colombia, and Peru.
The congresswoman on July 25 introduced the Destruction Initiative for Stored Precursors Overseas and Safe Enforcement (DISPOSE) Act, H.R. 9172, alongside 10 original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), to establish the Precursor Chemical Destruction Initiative, which would promote bilateral counterdrug interdiction efforts with the governments of specified countries.
“Fentanyl is killing thousands of Americans, and we can no longer afford to sit still as our enemies flood our communities with these dangerous drugs,” said Rep. Salazar. “The DISPOSE Act will combat the crisis by working with our partners in Latin America to destroy these drugs well before they cross our borders.”
If enacted, H.R. 9172 would increase rates of seizure and destruction of listed chemicals in beneficiary countries; alleviate the backlog of seized chemicals and dispose them in an environmentally safe and effective manner; and ensure that the seized chemicals are not reintroduced into the illicit drug production network within beneficiary countries, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
H.R. 9172 also would free up storage space for future chemical seizures within these countries, and reduce the chemicals’ negative environmental impact, the summary says.
“The DISPOSE Act will help our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere safely destroy fentanyl and precursor chemicals that have been seized from the black market,” said Rep. Castro. “I’m glad to cosponsor this bipartisan effort to keep these chemicals out of the wrong hands and stop the production of fentanyl before it can be trafficked into the United States.”
U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced companion legislation in their chamber, according to staff.