Grand Canyon Times

Arizona U.S. Senate Candidate, Kari Lake, has attributed the increase in fentanyl overdose deaths, which she deems "preventable," to the "open-border policies" of the Biden Administration. These policies are also supported by her opponent Ruben Gallego, according to Lake's comments given to the Grand Canyon Times on May 21.

"The fentanyl deaths we are seeing under Biden and Gallego's open-border policies are not only tragic but preventable," said US Senate Candidate Kari Lake, US Senate Candidate in Arizona. "When I get to the U.S. Senate, it will be my #1 priority to secure our border and work towards tackling the fentanyl crisis and reducing the number of fentanyl deaths in our communities."

On National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Lake initiated the Families Fighting Fentanyl Coalition to tackle the fentanyl crisis. She described this crisis as a "Weapon of Mass Destruction," as stated in a news release dated May 7. In an effort to understand the impact of fentanyl overdoses, Lake met with parents who have lost their children due to such incidents. Among these were Clark and Karen Griffin who lost their son Tyler due to a fentanyl overdose. The Griffins were appointed co-chairs of the coalition. "Tyler took what he thought was a Tylenol before going to bed and he never woke up," Lake told the Grand Canyon Times.

According to the National Drug Threat Assessment report by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is named as the deadliest drug in American history. It has claimed 38,000 American lives in just "the first sixth months of 2023 alone." The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are identified as major contributors to this crisis, having facilitated the presence of fentanyl across nearly all 50 US states through production in Mexico and smuggling into America. This illicit trade has reportedly earned them "billions of dollars in profits from the fentanyl trade." Their operations cover every stage of supply chain management including sourcing precursor chemicals, manufacturing drugs, managing logistics through international shippers, transporters, corrupt officials, tunnel builders, shell companies and money launderers.

A report published on May 16 by AZPM indicates that Arizona ranks among the worst states for its quantity of fentanyl seizures. The report, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, reveals that "Arizona had the highest number of pill seizures" in 2023 and "the second-highest number of overall seizures of powder and pills combined."

In a statement made in the May 7 news release, Clark and Karen Griffin criticized Lake's opponent for denying the border crisis and supporting Biden's policies which they believe have exacerbated the problem. They expressed their support for Lake saying, "We can’t bring our son Tyler back, but we will do everything we can to send Kari Lake to Washington DC to help prevent more families from going through the tragedy that we did. We are incredibly honored to be asked to lead Kari’s ‘Families Fighting Fentanyl’ Coalition and we look forward to watching her tackle this issue head on in the United States Senate."

Lake is a former news industry professional who is currently running for U.S. Senate. Her campaign platform includes a 10-point plan to secure the border; cutting inflation and reducing the deficit; ensuring water supply for the west, improving education, addressing homelessness and quality of life issues, and making America energy dominant. These details were found on her campaign website. It should be noted that Lake previously ran for Governor of Arizona in 2022.