Warren, Brown, Whitehouse, Blumenthal Press Treasury, DHS to Eliminate Trade Loophole Enabling Illegal Drug Trade, Protect Americans from Opioid Epidemic

Press Release

“The opioid epidemic is a serious threat in the United States that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. We must use every tool to combat it and protect American families — including the statutory authority Congress provided to the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to limit abuse of the de minimis provision.

“Further action is needed to fully address the flood of uninspected packages entering into the United States, especially in the e-commerce sector. (Key) schemes to traffic fentanyl components via e-commerce would not be thwarted by the proposed regulation and underscore the need for more scrutiny on e-commerce shipments,” wrote the lawmakers. 'DHS should reconsider whether e-commerce shipments should be categorically excluded from de minimis eligibility, and take action immediately.

“Illicit fentanyl is the leading killer of Americans aged 18 to 49, and the recent DOJ indictment is only the latest evidence of the role de minimis plays in these tragic deaths.

“We urge you to act quickly and use your authority to protect Americans from drug dealers and predatory online vendors who use this loophole to send dangerous substances over the United States border.

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