Pima County leaders vote to support Kelly bill to help stop fentanyl, firearms at border

The Pima County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution in support of a bill moving through Congress that aims to tamp down on fentanyl smuggling at the border.

Supervisors voted 3-1 on a resolution that endorses the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act — a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Kelly that aims to enhance fentanyl and firearms interdiction efforts at border ports of entry.

If passed, it would put more than $3 billion toward things like transnational surveillance, advanced screening machinery at ports of entry, and additional Customs and Border Protection staff.

The local resolution calls on Congress to pass the measure and says it aligns with Pima County’s own efforts to address the deadly impacts of opioids. It comes after a request from the county health board that asked supervisors to publicly support the bill.

Charles Geoffrion, director of the Pima County Board of Health, says stopping or slowing the flow of fentanyl isn’t a silver bullet solution.

“But if that problem were to be diminished at the border, it would allow opportunities for Pima County to address other kinds of problems with resources that would be available,” he said.

Federal data shows the bulk of fentanyl is smuggled by U.S. citizens through ports of entry. Geoffrion says directing resources toward those sites will educe the amount of fentanyl in Pima County, this helping local officials respond more effectively to things like overdose deaths.

“It’s coming in at normal border crossings, these are not people with backpacks walking through the desert,” he said.

Pima County health officials recorded an all-time high of 510 drug overdose deaths county-wide next year.