Gallego, McCormick Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Nitazene Trafficking

WASHINGTON - Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) today introduced the Nitazene Control Act. The bipartisan legislation works to permanently schedule the entire class of nitazenes under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, closing loopholes that traffickers exploit by making slight chemical changes to evade enforcement.

READ MORE: Lawmakers race to stop 'next fentanyl crisis' with crackdown on nitazenes synthetic opioids (Fox)

Senators Gallego and McCormick were joined in introduction by Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jeane Shaheen (D-NH), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Ashley Moody (R-FL), and the bill has been endorsed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA). Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) and Eugene Vindman (D-VA).

"Families across Arizona have already been torn apart by the opioid and fentanyl epidemic, and now nitazenes threaten to make this crisis even worse. These synthetic opioids are stronger and deadlier than fentanyl, and they are starting to be abused more frequently," said Senator Gallego. "The Nitazene Control Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to keep these drugs out of our communities and save lives. I'm proud to support this bipartisan bill to protect Arizona families from the next wave of the opioid epidemic."

"The fact that nitazenes are oftentimes more deadly than fentanyl, which killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year alone, should be a wakeup call to us all. We need to take immediate action to close loopholes, crack down on traffickers, and ensure that these deadly narcotics do not cause the same devastation that we saw with fentanyl," said Senator McCormick. "I'm proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep our communities safe."

"We must target nitazenes before they become the next drug epidemic. These illicit drugs are extremely potent and difficult to detect," said Senator Ricketts. "We have the capability to prevent their flow into our country. We just need to follow the blueprint set by our efforts to counter fentanyl. That's why I worked with my colleagues to introduce the Nitazene Control Act. It follows the model of the HALT Fentanyl Act. This bill will give law enforcement the authority they need to combat this new threat."

"The extreme potency of nitazenes, which are deadlier than fentanyl, is deeply alarming and requires immediate action," said Senator Schmitt. "The Nitazene Control Act will crack down on the flow of nitazenes by permanently designating them as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, closing loopholes traffickers exploit and giving law enforcement the tools they need to go after this deadly drug."

"In New Hampshire, we've already lost far too many lives due to synthetic opioids, so it's very concerning to know that nitazenes, which are even deadlier than fentanyl, are in our communities," said Senator Shaheen. "We need to do everything possible to get nitazenes off our streets. I'm glad to join my colleagues on this bipartisan legislation that will give our law enforcement the tools they need to stop these synthetic opioids from flowing into our communities and save lives."

"Our nation's law enforcement officers are on the front lines of the opioid crisis every day, and nitazenes represent one of the most dangerous emerging threats we

face. The Nitazene Control Act provides a vital tool to help keep these deadly synthetic opioids off our streets and out of our communities," said FLEOA National President Mathew Silverman. "We commend Senators McCormick, Gallego, Ricketts, Shaheen, Schmitt, Slotkin, and Moody for their leadership and foresight in introducing this bipartisan legislation. By taking a class-wide approach, they are ensuring that traffickers can't exploit chemical loopholes to evade prosecution. This proactive measure strengthens public safety, empowers law enforcement, and ultimately saves lives."

Nitazenes are a family of synthetic opioids up to 40 times more potent than fentanyl. While first developed in the 1950s, this class of drugs has never been approved for medical use. Their illicit presence in the United States has increased over the last few years and they have been found in counterfeit pills and mixed into other illicit drugs at an alarming rate, contributing to a sharp rise in overdose deaths nationwide. Routine drug tests and toxicology screenings typically do not look for nitazenes, making it all the more difficult to detect. Chinese drug traffickers exploit these gaps in our nitazene enforcement, poisoning Americans and undermining our national security.

As of September 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had scheduled 14 nitazenes, of which 10 are permanently scheduled and four are temporarily scheduled. In October 2025, the DEA temporarily scheduled seven additional nitazenes as Schedule I under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. Despite these efforts, the DEA continues to encounter unscheduled, dangerous nitazenes in the United States. These newer nitazenes have modified chemical structures designed to evade law enforcement, and many are more potent than the Schedule I nitazenes.

Read the full bill HERE.

This bill builds on Senator Gallego's record of fighting to stop the flow of opioids in Arizona. In the Senate, he supported the Contraband Awareness Technology Catches Harmful (CATCH) Fentanyl Act, Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, and Combating Illicit Xylazine Actto strengthen border inspections, crack down on synthetic opioids, and give law enforcement the tools they need to go after traffickers. Senator Gallego also introduced the Buck Stops Here Act in the House to combat fentanyl money laundering.

10/30/25