U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown stated that the FEND Off Fentanyl Act will assist law enforcement in their fight against fentanyl-dealing drug cartels. He made this announcement in a press release on April 24, the day the act was signed into law.
"This important law will allow us to go directly after the drug cartels' billions in illicit profits, targeting the entire fentanyl supply chain and sanctioning illicit opioid traffickers and money launderers in China and Mexico," said Brown, United States Senator from Ohio (D). "Law enforcement in Ohio and around the country made it clear that we needed more tools to stop fentanyl at its source, and because of our work together, those tools are now law and can begin to be put to use going after the cartels. Today is an important step in our fight to stop the illicit fentanyl that is flooding Ohio communities."
According to a subsequent press release, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act is a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to target the global supply chain of the fentanyl trade. The law aims to apply pressure on fentanyl traffickers in Mexico and China by expanding sanctions to include illicit fentanyl traffickers in Mexico and manufacturers of precursor chemicals in China. A significant aspect of the law is its provision allowing the U.S. to disrupt money laundering activities essential for fentanyl trafficking. It also declares international trafficking of fentanyl as a national emergency.
The Ohio Capital Journal reports that the FEND Off Fentanyl Act was initially introduced by Brown and U.S. Senator Tim Scott approximately one year ago. The legislation was part of a comprehensive bill that included provisions for utilizing frozen Russian assets and potentially enforcing the sale of TikTok.
Brown's website provides some background information about him, stating he was born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio, and has represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate since 2006.
