U.S. Representative John Curtis (R-Utah) recently visited the southern border and observed that the control of cartels was superior to that of the U.S. In a press release, which Curtis posted on his website, he stated that this situation impacts all Americans, not just those residing on the border.
"John Curtis said, "The primary goal for my recent trip was to gain a deeper understanding of who truly controls the border", said John Curtis, according to X. "The findings were unequivocal: the cartels are in charge, not the U.S. government."
According to an article by KSL.com, Curtis indicated that his main takeaway from the trip was the inadequate control of the U.S. government over the southern border. He attributed this problem to President Joe Biden's administration. The congressman noted that this situation has facilitated the entry of fentanyl and other drugs into the U.S., affecting not only border states but also others such as his home state of Utah.
Rep. John Curtis' X (Twitter)
| https://twitter.com/CurtisUT/status/1756075989548028297
In the same KSL.com article, Curtis emphasized that drugs crossing the border have had a significant impact on Utah. "We have seen that in Utah. The (Utah) Highway Patrol has some staggering statistics about the increase in fentanyl and fentanyl-related deaths," he said.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a statement saying that fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. In 2023, DEA seized over 77 million pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of powder in the U.S., preventing more than 386 million deadly doses from reaching consumers—enough to kill every American. In Utah, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming alone, 3.4 million fentanyl pills were seized. Specifically in Utah, seizures increased from 1.9 million pills in 2022 and 565,200 in 2021 to 664,200 pills last year. The DEA attributed most of these seizures to Mexican cartels.
"The situation has spiraled completely out of control," Curtis said in his interview with KLS.com. Despite acknowledging the complexity of addressing this issue, he proposed HR2—a border security measure passed by the U.S. House—as a potential starting point. This bill, which has yet to be considered in the U.S. Senate, proposes asylum eligibility limits and advocates for the construction of a border wall. Curtis also called for the reinstatement of the "remain in Mexico" policy from the Trump administration, which required asylum seekers to await processing in Mexico.
Curtis has represented Utah’s 3rd Congressional District since 2017, as per his official website. He serves on both the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Natural Resources Committee.
