U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez spoke about a bill to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States after paying a visit to view new border technology at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry Monday morning.
Vasquez, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District, introduced the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act in the U.S. House of Representatives in July along with a few of his House colleagues. The same bill was also introduced in the Senate this past winter. Both Heinrich and Sen. Ben Ray Luján are co-sponsors of the senate bill. Both senators are Democrats, as is Vasquez.
The Senate bill is waiting to be heard in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The House bill is waiting to be heard in the House Appropriations Committee.
Vasquez said the bill appropriates over $5 billion to strengthen border security, improve the U.S. drug interdiction capabilities, fund the hiring of more border customs agents and deploy “cutting edge nonintrusive and special technology” to better enable customs agents to intercept illicit substances during commercial and noncommercial border stops.
Vasquez noted that 70% of those crossing the border carrying illegal substances are American citizens.
Vasquez said Mexican cartels lure teenagers in U.S. border towns, such as Sunland Park, where families live in economically depressed areas. He said teens are targeted because if they are caught, the legal implications are much less harsh than when an adult is caught smuggling illicit substances across the border.
Vasquez said the teenagers who smuggle the substances “are looking for ways to bring home money for their families.”
Vasquez said, in addition to introducing legislation to try to address this problem, he asked the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area executive director, Will Glaspy, about using asset forfeiture to educate young people about their own futures.
The past bills Vasquez has introduced to address this issue are the Stop Coyotes Act, which imposes higher penalties on those convicted of human trafficking and who engage minors in illicit activities. He introduced that bill last year as part of a larger border package. He introduced the No More Narcos Act this past spring to establish an educational campaign to educate middle school and high school students who reside within 100 miles of the border on the perils of involvement in illicit substance trafficking.
Neither bill has passed.
Heinrich called Vasquez “one of the most forward leaning members of the House” to come up with policy reform to address the fentanyl crisis.
Heinrich said “we get things done most effectively in New Mexico when we work together,” and said the Fend Off Fentanyl bill was enacted recently and that it gives law enforcement the tools to “go after the financial resources” of drug trafficking entities. He said he believes the U.S. will see the “impacts of that over the next several years.”
He said there has also been a lot of investment in technology and said there was a $400 million appropriation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection so agents at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry have high level scanners that can scan commercial and noncommercial vehicles crossing the port of entry. He also mentioned the new ballistics testing machines he garnered federal funding for, one of which will be installed in Las Cruces.
“We were able to secure resources in Las Cruces. Putting all of that technology in local law enforcement gives them the tools to address this crisis,” he said.
Heinrich and Vasquez started the day touring the inside of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry to view the scanning technology. Heinrich and Vasquez joined with news media outside the port of entry and called the scanning technology “state of the art.” Heinrich said he and Vasquez hope to see it utilized at ports of entry all along the border.
Heinrich said that, despite the new technology, border agents cannot scan 100% of the vehicles that come through the port of entry. He said that as the federal government continues to “layer on more technology” he is hoping some of that will be artificial intelligence that can help agents “focus on the images that are most likely to tell them someone is likely trying to move contraband.”
Heinrich said he thinks that after the November general election, the comprehensive border security bill, which stalled this past spring after former President Donald Trump signaled to Republicans to not vote for it, will return to the Senate floor. Heinrich said “that bill would have progressed” if Trump had not “asked his party to walk away from it.”
The border security bill contained a number of concessions from Democrats, including making it harder for asylum seekers to remain in the U.S. and tighten border controls. But after Trump asked Republicans to tank the bill, Republicans in the Senate voted to filibuster it.
Heinrich said that while the bill may get “tweaked here and there,” he is hopeful the bill will pass after the 2024 election. Heinrich also said the federal government faces “fundamental challenges” with the way migrants are allowed to seek asylum. He said that, currently, it can take 10 years before migrants have their hearing with an asylum court to learn whether they can remain in the U.S.
“It should be six months,” Heinrich said.
Vasquez said that it’s up to members of Congress who represent border states, such as New Mexico, to educate their colleagues about what an economic engine ports of entry are. Mexico is the U.S.’s largest trading partner and has been for years.
Vasquez said that if the U.S. is able to expand its ports of entry with Mexico, it would bring more jobs to local communities and easing the flow of goods into the country would lower the prices of goods.
“There’s not just one solution, when it comes to fixing the border. The border means a lot. And binational communities like Sunland Park and Santa Teresa and El Paso, know it’s more than just the asylum process,” Vasquez said.
NM Political Report is a nonprofit public news outlet providing in-depth and enterprise reporting on the people and politics across New Mexico.
