Lawmakers call on State Department to issue travel advisory over Mexican pharmaceuticals

Democratic members of Congress in both chambers called for the State Department to issue a travel advisory for U.S. citizens who cross the southern border into Mexico to get discounted prescription drugs.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. David Trone (D-MD) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urging him to warn U.S. citizens of the dangers of buying drugs in Mexico. Pharmaceuticals bought in the country could unknowingly be laced with fentanyl or methamphetamine, they said.

THE LEFT IS DOWNPLAYING THE REALITY OF THE FENTANYL CRISIS

“We write to urge the State Department, which plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of Americans traveling abroad, to immediately issue a travel advisory warning of the dangers of buying adulterated pharmaceuticals from Mexican pharmacies,” the lawmakers said in the joint letter.

“These adulterated drugs place unsuspecting U.S. tourist customers — some of whom are seeking to avoid high pharmaceutical drug pricing in the United States — at risk of overdose and death,” they added.

FILE – Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget in Washington, on April 26, 2022.

Al Drago/AP

The lawmakers cited multiple reports that revealed some pharmacies in popular tourist locations in Mexico were selling counterfeit prescription drugs that were laced with illicit drugs. A report from the Los Angeles Times revealed that certain pharmacies in Mexico claimed to sell “legitimate pharmaceuticals,” like oxycodone and Adderall but that those pharmaceuticals tested positive for fentanyl and meth.

A separate report from the University of California, Los Angeles found that 11 drug stores in northwestern Mexico were selling drugs that were laced with fentanyl, meth, and heroin. Other drug stores and pharmacies sold controlled substances without a prescription, the report said.

The image shows fentanyl pills in multiple colors, which the DEA says is an intentional move by the drug cartels to make them “look like candy.”

(Drug Enforcement Administration)

“We must continue to work to reduce the incentives for Americans to travel abroad because cheaper medication is available there, ensure we have adequate tools at home to combat substance use disorder, and ultimately reduce the demand for opioids and other drugs that are fueling our epidemic,” the lawmakers said.

The Democrats also asked Blinken whether the State Department had previously considered putting a travel advisory in place and whether the department would work with other agencies to reduce incentives for U.S. residents to travel out of the country for pharmaceuticals.

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The letter is Markey’s latest move to help the United States crack down on drug trafficking into the country. Markey secured $70 million in the 2023 spending package to ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the necessary resources to detect, interdict, and prevent the trafficking of opioids into the U.S. 

The lawmakers requested a response to their letter by March 30.

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