Cortez Masto, Cornyn’s Bipartisan Legislation to Investigate Illicit Drug Financing Passes into Law

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Cornyn's (R-Texas) bipartisan Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act passed the Senate. Specifically, her legislation will direct the U.S. Government Accountability Office to investigate how transnational criminal organizations finance synthetic drug trafficking and help the federal government target them more effectively. This bill now heads to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.

"Keeping Nevadans safe is my top priority, and I'm proud to pass my bill to help us go after drug traffickers spreading dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl into our communities," said Senator Cortez Masto. "This bill will improve our understanding of how drug cartels finance their operations to better prevent fentanyl money laundering and crack down on drug trafficking."

"Fentanyl is an unprecedented crisis that continues to take the lives of innocent children and adults across our country, and we must combat it at all levels," said Sen. Cornyn. "This bill would help law enforcement better understand narcotrafficking organizations' illegal financing and business models, which will increase our chances of defeating them and help save American lives."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 108,000 people in the United States died from drug overdoses or drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending January 2022, with 67% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Senator Cortez Masto has been working to crack down on illicit drugs since she served as Nevada's Attorney General, when she worked with law enforcementand Mexican officials to combat the rise of methamphetamine manufacturing and cross-border drug trafficking. In the Senate, she has introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to combat the illicit use of xylazine and has authored legislation to combat drug trafficking online that was signed into law, as well as critical legislation to address the opioid epidemic.

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