Senators Push for Tighter Controls on Drug Smuggling Through Customs Loophole

U.S. Democratic senators urge the Biden administration to crack down on the de minimis customs program, which is reportedly exploited by drug traffickers to smuggle fentanyl-related chemicals from China. The lawmakers call for action to close this loophole amid worsening drug crises and amidst ongoing bipartisan challenges.

On Tuesday, leading Democratic senators called upon the Biden administration to clamp down on a widely used customs program following a Reuters investigation.

The investigation found that drug traffickers are exploiting the system to smuggle chemicals used in fentanyl production into the U.S.

The senators, Elizabeth Warren, Sheldon Whitehouse, Richard Blumenthal, and Sherrod Brown, expressed their concerns in a letter to the Treasury and Homeland Security departments, urging them to halt e-commerce shipments via the de minimis rule. This system allows goods under $800 to enter duty-free, facilitating the influx of illicit substances amid a growing opioid crisis.

(With inputs from agencies.)