August 12, 2024

Senators Markey and Brown Request Information to Ensure CBP has Resources Needed to Protect Americans from Deadly Opioids

Washington (August 12, 2024) – Today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) wrote to the INTERDICT Science Center of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requesting information on how better to support the Center’s needs and mission. In 2018, CBP rebranded and reconfigured the Department of Homeland Security’s Springfield, Virginia laboratory as the INTERDICT Science Center, following the increased funding that Senators Markey and Brown secured through their INTERDICT Act, which ensures resources to prevent, detect, and interdict the unlawful importation of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, narcotics, and psychoactive substances into the United States. The INTERDICT Science Center is a centralized facility that provides scientific support to CBP headquarters and other CBP components for their controlled substance identification requirements.

The Senators wrote, “Research into how to better identify and interdict substances containing [fentanyl] is...crucial to the safety and protection of all those who come into contact with it — from the law enforcement officers who inspect and seize contraband at our borders, to the public health officials responding to the rise of illicit substances in their communities. Research that the INTERDICT Science Center performs identifying fentanyl and its analogues could also help lead to new opioid antagonists to treat opioid overdoses.”

The Senators ask the INTERDICT Science Center to respond to the following questions:

What are the current priorities and strategic objectives of the INTERDICT Science Center in advancing detection technologies for synthetic opioids and other emerging substances?
What specific challenges does the INTERDICT Science Center face in staying ahead of evolving tactics used by drug traffickers, and how can Congress assist in overcoming these challenges?
What specific funding needs does the INTERDICT Science Center have that, if met, would significantly enhance its research capabilities and operational effectiveness? Are there specific technology or infrastructure investments that would most benefit the INTERDICT Science Center?
Beyond funding, how can Congress better facilitate your mission and address current operational challenges?
How can Congress encourage and support more effective collaboration between the INTERDICT Science Center and other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as international partners?
How can Congress help raise awareness of the INTERDICT Science Center’s work and its importance to combatting fentanyl trafficking?

In January 2018, Senator Markey and Brown’s INTERDICT Act was signed into law and authorized hundreds of new screening devices, laboratory equipment, facilities, and personnel to stop the flow of the illicit fentanyl across the U.S. border. Senators Markey and Brown recently secured $75.5 million for non-intrusive inspection (NII) technology in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Law, to ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the necessary resources to detect, interdict, and prevent the trafficking of fentanyl and other opioids into the United States.

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