SENATOR MCCORMICK, FBI DIRECTOR PATEL CONVENE ROUNDTABLE ON COMBATTING FENTANYL CRISIS

Roundtable Brings Together Federal and State Law Enforcement, Prosecutors, and Families Who Have Lost Loved Ones to Fentanyl to Discuss Progress Combatting Fentanyl

ALLENTOWN, PA - U.S. Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) hosted FBI Director Kash Patel in Allentown today for a roundtable discussion on the fentanyl crisis. The roundtable brought together federal and state law enforcement leaders, prosecutors, and families directly impacted by the epidemic to discuss enforcement efforts, disruption to trafficking networks, and the path forward on treatment and recovery.

"When I ran for Senate, I promised Pennsylvania families I would secure the border, take on the cartels, and stop the flow of fentanyl precursors from China. While there is more to do, we are making a lot of progress," said Senator McCormick. "That is what a whole-of-government approach looks like, and I am grateful to Director Patel, the FBI, and state and local partners for their partnership in this fight."

"Senator McCormick and our partners in Pennsylvania have been tremendous supporters for law enforcement, helping this FBI and interagency partners across the country deliver record results on tackling the fentanyl crisis within the last year alone," said FBI Director Kash Patel. "But we're doubling down on and just getting started. I want to thank Senator McCormick for hosting this event and look forward to joining him, our law enforcement partners, and these brave families putting words into action so we can cut off the flow of deadly fentanyl and put away the criminal actors who traffic through our communities."

Senator McCormick pledged to secure the border, dismantle the cartels, and stop the flow of fentanyl precursors from China. Today's roundtable is a direct reflection of that commitment in action, and the results are beginning to show. From 2020 to 2023, fentanyl killed approximately 4,000 Pennsylvanians per year. Preliminary data indicates that figure fell to approximately 1,500 in 2025, the lowest level in a decade. From 2023 to 2024, Pennsylvania saw an over 30 percent decline in overdose deaths, representing one of the sharpest drops in the nation.

This progress is the direct result of law enforcement at every level working together toward a common mission. Senator McCormick and Director Patel were joined at the roundtable by law enforcement leaders and prosecutors whose work is driving those results.

Specifically, the FBI enforcement efforts include:

• Nearly 5,000 pounds of fentanyl seized, up 31% year over year, and enough to kill 178 million Americans
• 66,600 kilograms of cocaine seized from January through September 2025
• 6,675 kilograms of methamphetamine seized over the same period

FBI Philadelphia has also significantly expanded its local enforcement efforts in 2205 with:

• 441 violent crime arrests - up 15% from 2024
• 82 kilograms of cocaine seized - up 158% from 2024
• 27+ kilograms of fentanyl seized

In December 2025, the DOJ, FBI, DHS, and federal, state, and local partners established a Homeland Security Task Force in Philadelphia to specifically target cartels and transnational criminal organizations fueling fentanyl overdoses and community violence.

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Pennsylvania Attorney General have further reinforced those efforts. In 2025, the DEA seized more than 47 million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and nearly 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder- the equivalent of more than 369 million lethal doses.

While strides have been made, Senator McCormick will not stop until fentanyl is eradicated.

As the fight against fentanyl shows measurable results, new and more dangerous substances are entering Pennsylvania's drug supply. Three emerging threats are of particular concern in Pennsylvania:

• Medetomidine: Zero reports of medetomidine overdose deaths detected in Pennsylvania in 2023, but that number rose to 75 in 2024. It is now present in 87% of Philadelphia drug samples as of early 2025.
• Xylazine: A veterinary tranquilizer, increasingly found mixed with fentanyl, causes severe tissue damage and resists naloxone, making overdose response significantly more difficult.
• Nitazenes: These synthetic opioids, up to 40 times more potent than fentanyl, are frequently concealed in counterfeit pills, missed by routine toxicology screens, and likely undercounted statewide due to gaps in standard testing protocols.

Last October, Senator McCormick introduced the Nitazene Control Act to permanently schedule the entire class of nitazenes under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, closing the loopholes traffickers exploit before the death toll demands a response. In March, he introduced the Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2025, which would improve federal coordination to combat the fentanyl crisis, go after trafficking organizations, address China's central role in producing fentanyl precursors and laundering drug money, and save American lives.

Senator McCormick was a proud cosponsor of the HALT Fentanyl Act, signed into law by President Trump on July 16, 2025, which permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act and gives law enforcement more tools to combat the threats posed by these deadly drugs.

Senator McCormick is also a cosponsor of the Nitazene Sanctions Act and the Detection Equipment and Technology Evaluation to Counter the Threat of Nitazenes Act of 2025 (DETECT Nitazenes Act) to address the growing threat of nitazenes in American communities.

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