WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Fetterman (D-PA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Chris Coons (D-DE) today introduced their Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, which would help stop the production of counterfeit and fentanyl-laced pills and make it easier for federal law enforcement to take action against cartels by requiring pill presses, punches, and dies to be engraved with serial numbers:

“Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45, which underscores just how prevalent this silent killer is in our communities,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Our bill would require the serialization of pill presses, punches, and dies to help law enforcement better detect, trace, and prosecute the cartels who produce these deadly pills and perpetuate the fentanyl crisis across our country.”

“Fentanyl has taken the lives of thousands of Americans and continues to be a leading cause of death in the United States,” said Sen. Moran. “By imposing penalties for removing or altering serial numbers on pill presses, law enforcement will be able to more effectively target those responsible for the production of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills and help prevent drug traffickers from flooding our country with these deadly substances.”

“Fentanyl is killing more young Americans than anything else right now, and fake pills are one of the most dangerous ways these synthetic opioids are getting into our communities,” said Sen. Fetterman. “By requiring serial numbers on pill presses and the tools that make them, this bill gives law enforcement another way to track the chain of custody and hold people who are profiting off of addiction accountable.”

“Communities across North Carolina and the country continue to suffer from the devastating impact of fentanyl, and we must do everything we can to disrupt the cartels and traffickers flooding our streets with these deadly drugs,” said Sen. Tillis. “The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act will give law enforcement an important tool to track down and hold criminals accountable, and I am proud to support this effort to help save lives.”

“Fentanyl has devastated families across Minnesota and this crisis is being fueled by those who use pill presses to make counterfeit drugs. We need to do more to fight traffickers and protect communities,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will require pill presses and their critical parts to have a serial number, which will help law enforcement, fight counterfeit pill production, reduce overdoses, and ultimately save lives.”

Background:

In 2024, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seized more than 61.1 million fentanyl-laced pills. With these illicit drugs on the rise, many cartels have gained access to the same type of pill presses used by pharmaceutical companies in order to create counterfeit pills that are often indistinguishable from real medication. The Controlled Substances Act currently requires companies to keep records on the distribution of pill press equipment, which helps the DEA track and seize pill presses used to manufacture fentanyl-laced pills. But while illicit pill presses have been seized in 43 states, many reports suggest these seizures only account for a small number of those being used by cartels.

The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act would help the DEA and other federal law enforcement agencies solve crimes against drug trafficking and trace pill presses back to cartels by amending the Controlled Substances Act to require that all encapsulating machines, tableting machines, punches, and dies be engraved with a serial number, and that all serial numbers be filed with DEA on the forms that already have to be submitted for pill press machines. The legislation would also impose criminal penalties for the removal or alteration of the serial number and for the transportation or possession of any pill press with a removed or altered serial number.

The legislation is endorsed by National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC), National HIDTA Directors Association, CADCA, National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), and Sergeants Benevolent Association NYPD.