Old North News

In July, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, insisted the border is "secure" during an interview with NBC at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado.

However, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently released their operational statistics for July, and the number of arrests at the southern border in fiscal year 2022 is nearing 2 million, a record high.

"How insulting is it that DHS Secretary Mayorkas says the border is “secure,” the Republican State Leadership Committee wrote in a July 25 tweet. “Border patrol agents need help. Our fentanyl crisis is worsening. CBP numbers keep rising. Families' lives are in danger and this admin (administration) keeps turning a blind eye."

In fiscal year 2022, which runs from Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022, U.S. Border Patrol agents have made approximately 1,822,160 arrests at the southern border, according to data released by CBP. In July alone, there were 199,976 encounters along the southwest land border.

According to CBP nationwide total encounter data for FY 2022 through July, fentanyl seizures across the border have increased 203% when compared to the previous fiscal year.

Chris Magnus, CBP commissioner, stressed the importance of a slight decrease in encounters in July.

"While the encounter numbers remain high, this is a positive trend and the first two-month drop since October 2021,” he said in an Aug. 15 press release.

In fiscal year 2021, CBP reported 1.66 million apprehensions. With roughly two months left in FY 2022, analysts predict arrests will surpass 2 million for the first time, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The surge in fentanyl seizures is concerning for many as the drug is a factor in thousands of overdose deaths each year.

According to an analysis by Families Against Fentanyl, fentanyl overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45, followed by suicide, COVID-19, and car accidents. Fentanyl is tied to 64% of drug overdose deaths and is commonly laced in cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, Xanax, oxycontin, and marijuana sold on the streets.

In 2021, there were an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the U.S., according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Data shows the number of deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl outpaced that of any other drug. Fentanyl deaths climbed 23% from 2020 (57,834) to 2021 (71,238).

Drug overdose deaths in North Carolina increased by 26% in 2021, according to data from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly 4,000 people died of a drug overdose in the state last year, representing a 47% increase from 2019.