The U.S. Congress is currently contemplating the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, a proposed law that aims to marshal the resources of the U.S. government to tackle the fentanyl supply chain from multiple angles. Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, recently testified before a Senate committee, expressing his support for this act.
Yoes emphasized on the importance of this legislation by stating, "All the measures and tools proposed in S. 1271 will reduce the number of Americans who suffer and die from fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and other deadly and illicit opioids—and that should be our number one goal". He further elaborated on the necessity to "reduce the loss of life through vigorous interdiction of the drug supply train, relentless pursuit of the dealers, cartels, and suppliers, greater availability of naloxone to law enforcement and emergency responders, as well as passing the FEND Off Fentanyl Act."
According to a press release by Fraternal Order of Police, Yoes made these remarks during his testimony at a Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing titled "Stopping the Flow of Fentanyl: Public Awareness and Legislative Solutions". During this hearing he also addressed how fentanyl has impacted front-line police officers. Yoes highlighted that "officers are not only working to keep drugs out of our neighborhoods but they are also actively pursuing dealers by arresting them and aiding their prosecution."
The FEND Off Fentanyl Act - short for Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence - seeks to alleviate the fentanyl crisis by enforcing federal sanctions on criminal actors involved in fentanyl trade. This legislative proposal aims to increase chances of apprehending and prosecuting individuals engaged in illicit fentanyl trafficking. It also promotes using legally forfeited assets from traffickers to strengthen law enforcement efforts against similar crimes. The development of this legislation was assisted by The Fraternal Order of Police.
According to the U.S. Senate, the Drug Enforcement Administration confiscated over 379 million lethal doses of fentanyl in 2022. The FEND Off Act intends to disrupt the international fentanyl supply chain by blocking the shipment of chemicals from China to drug cartels in Mexico. It also proposes that international trafficking of fentanyl be declared a national emergency.
Yoes has been affiliated with the Fraternal Order of Police since 1984, as per information on its website. He was elected president of the organization in 2019, after serving several years in other roles within the organization.
