Washington, D.C. – Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) to reintroduce bipartisan legislation to crack down on drug trafficking and combat the fentanyl crisis. The HIDTA Enhancement Act would reauthorize the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program—which brings together federal and local law enforcement to stop drug trafficking—and provide them with greater resources to cover more activities to enhance fentanyl prevention and seizures.
“The HIDTA program has been an incredible tool to help law enforcement agencies nationwide to combat drug trafficking and the fentanyl crisis,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I will continue working with my colleagues across the aisle to expand funding and support for HIDTA. We must ensure our communities have the resources they need to keep drugs off our streets and protect Nevada families.”
“Law enforcement agencies in Arizona are doing their best every single day to keep families safe from lethal drugs like fentanyl. We’re supporting them by boosting collaboration between federal and local law enforcement to crack down on drug trafficking,” said Senator Kelly. “This is an example of the long-lasting solutions that Republicans and Democrats can work on together to secure our border and prevent the flow of drugs into our communities.”
The bipartisan HIDTA Enhancement Act specifically reauthorizes the program at $333,000,000 annually through 2030; increases authorization for competitive grants and expands use of funds to include enhanced fentanyl seizure and interdiction activities. Additional cosponsors of the bill include Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).
Senator Cortez Masto has been working to crack down on illicit drugs since she was first elected Attorney General, when she worked with Nevada’s Republican governor, law enforcement, and Mexican officials to combat the rise of methamphetamine manufacturing and cross-border drug trafficking. In the Senate, she has authored legislation to combat drug trafficking online that was signed into law, and passed critical legislation to eliminate illegal fentanyl supply chains. She also recently cosponsored the HALT Fentanyl Act which just passed the U.S. House of Representatives and will combat illegal fentanyl and keep our communities safe. She has also introduced legislation to crack down on the deadly fentanyl additive xylazine.
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