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President Joe Biden wrapped up a record-breaking year resulting in a deadly humanitarian toll of drugs, devastation and complete dereliction of duty at the southwest border. In fiscal year 2022 (October 2021-September 2022), this administration achieved record numbers of terrorists encounters at the border, copious amounts of drugs seized, and a litany of other tragic consequences driven by politically motivated policy decisions. While this tragedy has compounded and unfolded, Biden never found the time to visit the southwest border to face the devastating results of his partisanship but instead has managed to spend 236 days in his home state of Delaware or on other vacations while in office. While the president refuses to acknowledge the erosion of America’s sovereign border, Vice President Kamala Harris, appointed as the administration’s "border czar," falsely insists the border is secure.  

The last fiscal year topped the charts for numerous records with deadly consequences for border security and the American people. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded an unprecedented 2,766,582 border encounters nationwide, not including the nearly 600,000 gotaways who evaded Border Patrol and other law enforcement. 

Even more chilling, CBP encountered 98 individuals attempting to illegally cross in between ports of entry who are on the U.S. Terrorist Watch list. This is triple the number of potential terrorists encountered over the last five years combined. 

ARIZONA BORDER OFFICERS STOP LOADS OF OVER 200,000 FENTANYL PILLS, COCAINE, METH HIDDEN IN VEHICLES

A record-breaking number of possible terrorists wasn’t the only threat encountered at the border as CBP seized a record of nearly 15,000 pounds of fentanyl last fiscal year alone — enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States 10 times over. 

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has been criticized for the administration's border policies.  ((Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))

Equally as tragic, CBP saw a record 856 migrants last fiscal year who were abandoned by human smugglers and died as they attempted to cross the Southwest border. 

There have now been seven consecutive months and nine total months last year where migrant encounters exceeded 200,000. In fact, in September, CBP saw a staggering 227,547 migrant encounters, another historic record for the books. 

Moreover, there has been an increase in the flow of illicit drugs flooding the nation, leading to yet another grim record under the Biden administration as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 109,000 Americans have died due to a drug overdose in a 12-month period ending in March 2022. 95 percent of synthetic opioids seized by CBP are trafficked across the southwest border and every five minutes, an American dies from a drug overdose. Drug poisoning is now the leading killer for Americans ages 18-45 years old. 

The profitability of drug trafficking is only emboldening cartels further as they work to expand their market. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently warned that cartels have added a new tactic, targeting their poison at children with "rainbow fentanyl," which comes in a variety of colors and shapes and can be packaged to look like candy. 

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Cartels employ sophisticated tactics to move their drugs past Border Patrol, including using migrants as decoys by sending groups across the border to turn themselves in to CBP and distract agents. When the cartels know they have a good chance of evading border authorities, they send over migrants who want to gain entry to the United States without detection, including gang members, criminals, human traffickers and drug smugglers. 

While demonized by high level members of the Biden administration and understaffed and overworked due to the president’s open border policies, the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol are working tirelessly against all odds to keep our country safe and secure. The actions of the Biden administration are enabling and facilitating the numerous mentioned tragedies facing the United States, and the president, the vice president, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, and Chris Magnus, commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, must be held accountable for the consequences of their actions. 

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Despite the administration’s attempts to bury last fiscal year’s border data, these numbers should erase any remaining doubt that what the Republicans have been saying for the past two years is right: the border is not secure and the border is open. The American people deserve safety and security and a Congressional majority that will deliver real solutions, not dangerous policies that weaken law enforcement and open our borders. A Republican majority in the House, if it happens, will deliver that on day one.  

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. JOHN KATKO