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Texas Senate Takes A Stand Against Mexican Drug Cartels…

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(FreedomWire.org) – On Wednesday, the Texas Senate unanimously passed a bill that would allow state prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with murder, the Texas Tribune reported.

Senate Bill 645 by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, brings to life one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s key legislative priorities by allowing prosecutors to charge people who make, sell and deliver fentanyl with murder.

Huffman said: “We have tragically learned the extent of how dangerous fentanyl is and how even under 1 gram is so dangerous. It’s a fact that fentanyl is flooding our borders. It is absolutely, without a doubt killing our citizens on a daily basis. And it’s time that we take a comprehensive approach to combat this.

“So, to continue our efforts to keep this drug from hitting our communities, the committee substitute to Senate Bill 645 increases the penalty for manufacturing or delivery of less than 1 gram of fentanyl from a state jail felony to a third degree felony.

“Furthermore, if an individual dies from a fentanyl overdose, the penalty would be enhanced to a second degree.

“Members, we’ve reached a critical point in the fentanyl crisis here in Texas.

“We have no choice but to take a comprehensive approach to what is going on.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the bill’s passage saying:

“Here we go. You kill Texans with fentanyl. You get charged with murder.”

According to The Texas Tribune:

Huffman’s bill would also stiffen penalties for making, delivering or possessing larger quantities of fentanyl.

Having between 200 and 400 grams would be a first-degree felony, which could lead to between 10 years and life in prison as well as a fine of up to $100,000. Having more than 400 grams would also be a first-degree felony punishable by at least 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

But if approved by lawmakers, charging suspects with murder could still be a difficult outcome for law enforcement officials.

Some of the challenges include questions about how prosecutors could prove whether the person selling or distributing the drug knew that they were selling something that included fentanyl. And those who sell or distribute the drug aren’t usually the same people who manufacture the drugs.

“It may be that they find it’s easier to prosecute under the other statute that I passed that would make it a second-degree felony,” she said.

“But there may be extraordinary cases where it’s clear cut and the prosecutor then could have this tool to file for first-degree felony.”

Huffman made an exception in the law for medical professionals who prescribe fentanyl as treatment.

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Officials Warn Of A New Deadly Drug Coming Across Our Border…

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(FreedomWire.org) – Mexican cartels are using Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, as a cutting agent for fentanyl, according to a report exclusively obtained by The Center Square.

On March 3, 2023, the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center unclassified a Situational Awareness Bulletin prepared by the Southern Tactical Intelligence Unit, in conjunction with the Joint Strategic Analysis Unit, to make state and local law enforcement agencies aware of an emerging trend: Mexican cartels are lacing fentanyl with Xylazine.

The ACTIC report states, “On February 27, 2023, STIU received information regarding cartels using xylazine as a cutting agent for fentanyl products.”

“Unlike fentanyl, xylazine is not an opioid and does not respond to the use of naloxone (Narcan). Although it may appear ineffective in someone with both fentanyl and xylazine in their system, law enforcement or emergency personnel should utilize Narcan,” the bulletin states. Because Narcan only counters the effects of the opioid in a mixture, those poisoned by it “may require additional measures to survive,” the bulletin states.

While there is little peer-reviewed data about prior law enforcement or emergency medical personnel being exposed to xylazine, the bulletin warns first responders to “take all precautions when dealing with illicit substances or overdose victims and utilize personal protective equipment to minimize exposure.”

Xylazine is a pharmaceutical drug used for sedation, anesthesia, muscle relaxation for horses, cattle, and other non-human mammals. It isn’t a controlled substance and can only be purchased with a veterinary prescription. When purchased online in liquid or powder form, it’s “often with no association to the veterinary profession nor requirements to prove legitimate need,” the bulletin notes, citing a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency report.

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DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Violated His Oath…

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(FreedomWire.org) – The head of the Department of Homeland Security made a claim this week about the state of the U.S.-Mexico border that is getting a great deal of pushback from those assigned to patrol it.

“Look, the border is secure,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told an audience at the Aspen Security Forum on Tuesday. “We are working to make the border more secure. That has been a historic challenge.”

He went on to blame lawmakers for failing to pass broader immigration legislation until the security situation is taken care of, Fox News reported.

“I have said to a number of legislators who expressed to me that we need to address the challenge at the border before they pass legislation and I take issue with the math of holding the solution hostage until the problem is resolved,” he added.

“There is work to be done,” Mayorkas continued before noting further that “safe and secure are two different words.”

“There are smugglers that operate on the Mexican side of the border and placing one’s life in their hands is not safe,” said the DHS boss.

But Border Patrol agents and officials who spoke with Fox News gave a far different version of reality.

“Hundreds of thousands crossing every month is not the definition of secure,” one agent told the network. “They are liars and anyone who believes them are fools.”

Brandon Judd, President of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) also disputed that the border is secure, pointing to not only the drug flows into the U.S., but also the number of migrants that get past agents.

A high-level CBP source told Fox News last month that there have been 440,000 known gotaways since the fiscal year began in October — with over 50,000 in May. Combined with the 400,000 known gotaways since the beginning of FY 2021, that means that more than 800,000 illegal immigrants have gotten past agents since October 2020.

“As bad as the apprehension numbers are, and they are beyond bad, the scariest part of border security is the gotaways and the amount of drugs that are coming into the country,” Judd told Fox News. “Secretary Mayorkas knows the cartels use illegal border crossers to facilitate their higher value contraband including criminal aliens and fentanyl.

“Secretary Mayorkas knows we have the least secure border in our history as evidenced by nearly one million known gotaways and over 100,000 overdose deaths from narcotics coming across our southwest border,” he continued.

“There are easy solutions but based upon the evidence and a refusal to implement programs to secure the border it is clear this Administration including Secretary Mayorkas clearly does not care about the American people,” Judd noted further.

Another Border Patrol agent anonymously told Fox News that Mayorkas is telling the American people “bald face lies” regarding the situation along the southwestern border.

“They’re using issues like poverty, crime and climate change as reasons for asylum but those do not meet the legal standard of the law,” said the agent before going on to claim that the vast majority of asylum claims are “absolutely bogus.”

“Mayorkas, [Border Patrol Chief Raul] Ortiz and [President] Biden are failures that do not have the support of agents and many command staff, they all have violated their ‘oath’ of office to defend the laws and Constitution and should be removed,” the second agent added.

The Biden administration is supposedly concentrating efforts in response to the ongoing migrant crisis by focusing on so-called “root causes” such as corruption and poverty in Central America, though migrants are crossing illegally from dozens of countries not in Central America, Fox News reported.

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