WH Press Sec Jean-Pierre: Biden ‘securing border’ from Fentanyl Despite Record Overdoses; Spike in Fentanyl Overdoses Leads US Morgues to Run Out of Space; Feds Seize Enough Fentanyl to Kill 42 Million near Border in Arizona

Biden ‘securing border’ from fentanyl despite record overdoses: Jean-Pierre

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday insisted that President Biden is “securing the border” against fentanyl, despite the potent opioid driving a surge in US drug overdose deaths.

Jean-Pierre made the assertion during a testy exchange with Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy on Overdose Awareness Day — after Doocy asked “when is the president going to do something?” about the more than 300 daily US overdose deaths.

“We see those same numbers as well. But the fact [is] that we’re, you know, we are securing the border,” Jean-Pierre said, citing data that showed a 200% increase of fentanyl seizures at the southern border in July.

“The fact that we are securing record levels of funding from DHS so they can stop illicit drugs from entering into the country, the fact that it’s not just drug traffickers that we’re dealing with as well, we’re stopping financiers. This is what’s happening with this — under this administration,” Jean-Pierre said.

The exchange grew heated as Doocy continued to press on the topic and Jean-Pierre snapped, “If Republicans want to help us stop overdose[s] and stop our kids getting overdosed because of these dangerous drugs, because of these fentanyl that we’re seeing in the streets, we’re happy to work with them. But they’re not.”

“I’m moving on,” she declared, ending the line of questioning. —>READ MORE HERE

Spike in fentanyl overdoses leads US morgues to run out of space:

America’s fentanyl epidemic has gotten so bad that some morgues are running out of room. From 6,000 synthetic opioid deaths in 2015, to a major jump to more than 63,0000 in 2021, fentanyl is the biggest factor.

Coroner’s offices across the country say it’s tough to keep up with the bodies piling up. The Marion County Coroner’s Office in Indianapolis blames drug overdoses in part for their crowded morgue.

At the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office in Chicago, more room and resources were needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, COVID-19 deaths have dropped, but the morgues still need that extra space because of all the people fentanyl is killing.

“The most common non-natural death is opioids, it’s more than our number of homicides, more than our number of traffic accidents,” said Cook County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Ponni Arunkumar.

Opioid related deaths in Cook County have nearly tripled from 675 in 2015, to nearly 2,000 last year. —>READ MORE HERE

Feds Seize Enough Fentanyl to Kill 42 Million near Border in Arizona:

Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a woman and seized 187 pounds of fentanyl. Officials say the quantity of drugs is sufficient to kill up to 42 million people.

Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent John R. Modlin credited “observant Ajo Station” agents will discovering 187 pounds of fentanyl during a traffic stop on Interstate 8 in Arizona. Officials estimate the value of the deadly drugs to be approximately $4.3 million.

Observant Ajo Station agents discovered $4.3 million in fentanyl pills during a vehicle stop near Gila Bend, AZ. Two U.S. citizen smugglers were turned over to @mcsoaz. #GoodWork

For more information: https://t.co/7MFCK0XTvj pic.twitter.com/reGCBgaowP

— John R. Modlin (@USBPChiefTCA) August 26, 2022

Ajo Station agents patrolling Interstate 8 near mile marker 115 stopped a white Chevy Equinox in the eastbound lane. During an interview with the driver, a U.S. citizen, agents observed several duffel bags in the rear cargo area, according to information obtained from Tucson Sector officials. Agents say the woman appeared to be “noticeably nervous” during the interview. —>READ MORE HERE

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