Alaska feeling effects of border crisis, 'hit hard' by fentanyl deaths

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Alaska mother feeling effects of border crisis after losing son to fentanyl overdose

Sandy Snodgrass, who lost her son in October, and Mike Troster, executive director of Alaska HIDTA, joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss how the southern border crisis is devastating Alaskan communities.

A mother who lost her son to a fentanyl overdose last October said Wednesday she's seen the effects of the southern border crisis all the way in Alaska.

"My son died of a fentanyl overdose in 2021. He was in recovery, and he apparently had a relapse that day. So many young people that are in recovery do relapse, it is part of long-term recovery. He got 100% fentanyl that day after leaving my house on a bike ride and he never came home," Sandy Snodgrass told "Fox & Friends First."

Snodgrass' 22-year-old son Bruce died in October of a fentanyl overdose. Sandy does not think her son knew the drug he took had fentanyl in it. 

Alaska Division of Health and Social Services reported six out of every drug overdose deaths in Alaska last year involved fentanyl. 

CBP SEES 'SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE' IN FENTANYL SEIZURES, CONFIRMS 153,941 MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS IN JANUARY

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it had seen a "substantial increase" in fentanyl seizures at the southern border in January, just as it confirmed that there were 153,941 migrant encounters in December.

CBP found 414 packages contained methamphetamine and fentanyl. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection )

CBP’s monthly operational update confirmed Fox News’ reporting on Wednesday that there had been 153,941 encounters in what is typically a slow month for border crossers. The number is nearly double the 78,414 migrant encounters in Jan 2021, and more than quadruple the 36,585 in Jan 2020. 

There were 48,945 lbs of drugs seized at the southern border in January, which is down from 59,793 lbs encountered a year prior. However, fentanyl seizures were up, with 839 lbs seized in January, compared to 682 lbs in FY 2021 and 139 in FY 2020.

Fentanyl, an opioid for pain treatment, is between 50 and 100 times more potent than morphine. In Fiscal Year 2021, CBP seized 10,586 pounds of the deadly drug at the southern border, which can be fatal in extremely small amounts. That is up from 4,558 pounds seized in FY 2020 and 2,633 pounds seized in FY 2019. So far in FY 2022, agents have seized 3,289 lbs.

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Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Director Mike Troster said drugs are coming to Alaska by "parcel." He added that drugs are coming from across the southern border.

"We’re getting hit pretty hard for a state with a small population."

Snodgrass said that she will not work with the Biden administration to provide education on addiction.

"I’m working with the Alaska senators Murkowski and Sullivan to hopefully have a bill called ‘Bruce's Law’ to provide education in addiction," she said.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.