Gov. Greg Abbott visited the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Region II Headquarters on Thursday where he discussed the state’s efforts to address the fentanyl crisis, per a press release issued by the governor’s office.
Abbott, a Republican, placed the blame for the crisis on the Biden administration, the release said.
"Because of President Biden's open border policies, deadly fentanyl is flooding America, with enough seized lethal doses to kill almost every man, woman and child in the nation," the governor said in the release. "Mexican drug cartels are smuggling fentanyl into our country any way they can.”
Abbott credited the DPS crime lab’s staff for aiding in Texas’ fight against the influx of the drug across the southern border, the release said.
“It is laced into every other street drug available, as well as being disguised as legal prescriptions, as this lab has discovered,” he said. “Because of the folks at this lab, who handle potentially lethal drugs every day, we are saving the lives of thousands of Texans from the deadly scourge of fentanyl."
Abbott, who was accompanied by state and local officials, had toured the facility earlier in the day, according to his office.
Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that law enforcement officials urged the public to educate their children about fentanyl’s devastating impact.
State Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) said that there’s no discrimination when it comes to who fentanyl kills, the station reported.
“Fentanyl deaths affect Texans across all demographics,” Huffman said, KPRC reported. “Parents should be aware of fentanyl and educate their children about the deadliness of this drug.”
The legislator added that the upcoming legislative session will prioritize adding more penalties for fentanyl manufacturing and distribution, the station reported.
The governor’s release said that DPS’ Houston crime lab has tested approximately 14,000 lbs. of counterfeit drugs in the past year as well as inventoried over 85,000 seized drugs.
Texas logged about 1,700 fentanyl-related deaths in 2021, the release said.