U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

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OPIOIDS IN THE HOMELAND: DHS COORDINATION 

WITH STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERS TO FIGHT 

THE EPIDEMIC 

FIELD HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

OVERSIGHT AND 

MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

JUNE 19, 2018 

Serial No. 115–68 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov 


Congress.#13
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY 

MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas, Chairman 

LAMAR SMITH, Texas 

PETER T. KING, New York 

MIKE ROGERS, Alabama 

LOU BARLETTA, Pennsylvania 

SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania 

JOHN KATKO, New York 

WILL HURD, Texas 

MARTHA MCSALLY, Arizona 

JOHN RATCLIFFE, Texas 

DANIEL M. DONOVAN, JR., New York 

MIKE GALLAGHER, Wisconsin 

CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana 

THOMAS A. GARRETT, JR., Virginia 

BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania 

RON ESTES, Kansas 

DON BACON, Nebraska 

DEBBIE LESKO, Arizona 

BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Mississippi 

SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas 

JAMES R. LANGEVIN, Rhode Island 

CEDRIC L. RICHMOND, Louisiana 

WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts 

DONALD M. PAYNE, JR., New Jersey 

FILEMON VELA, Texas 

BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN, New Jersey 

KATHLEEN M. RICE, New York 

J. LUIS CORREA, California 

VAL BUTLER DEMINGS, Florida 

NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGA ́ N, California 

BRENDAN P. SHIELDS, Staff Director 

STEVEN S. GIAIER, General Counsel 

MICHAEL S. TWINCHEK, Chief Clerk 

HOPE GOINS, Minority Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY 

SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania, Chairman 

JOHN RATCLIFFE, Texas 

CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana 

THOMAS A. GARRETT, JR., Virginia 

RON ESTES, Kansas 

MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas (ex officio) 

J. LUIS CORREA, California 

KATHLEEN M. RICE, New York 

NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGA ́ N, California 

BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Mississippi (ex officio) 

DIANA BERGWIN, Subcommittee Staff Director 

ERICA D. WOODS, Interim Subcommittee Minority Staff Director 

(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

STATEMENTS

The Honorable Scott Perry, a Representative in Congress From the State 

of Pennsylvania, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency: 

Oral Statement ..................................................................................................... 1 

Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 3 

The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress From 

the State of Mississippi, and Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland 

Security: 

Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 4 

The Honorable Glenn Thompson, a Representative in Congress From the 

State of Pennsylvania: 

Oral Statement ..................................................................................................... 5 

WITNESSES

Mr. Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge—Philadelphia, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security: 

Oral Statement ..................................................................................................... 6 

Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 8 

Ms. Casey Owen Durst, Director of Field Operations—Baltimore Field Office, 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security: 

Oral Statement ..................................................................................................... 14 

Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 16 

Mr. David W. Sunday, District Attorney, York County, Pennsylvania: 

Oral Statement ..................................................................................................... 22 

Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 24 

Mr. Raymond Singley, Director, Bureau of Records and Identification, State 

Police Department, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: 

Oral Statement ..................................................................................................... 26 

Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 27 

(1) 

OPIOIDS IN THE HOMELAND: DHS COORDINATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERS 

TO FIGHT THE EPIDEMIC 

Tuesday, June 19, 2018 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND

MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY, 

Harrisburg, PA. 

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 12:35 p.m., in room 

205 of the Speaker Matthew J. Ryan Building, The Pennsylvania 

Capitol Complex, North 3rd Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Hon. 

Scott Perry [Chairman of the subcommittee] presiding. 

Members present: Representative Perry. 

Also present: Representative Glenn Thompson. 

Mr. PERRY. The Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee 

on Oversight and Management Efficiency, will come to order. The 

subcommittee is meeting today to examine the role of the Department of Homeland Security’s coordination with State and local law 

enforcement and the opioid crisis. 

Before we proceed any further, as Chair I need to make a few 

important announcements. I would like to thank the Pennsylvania 

State Capitol staff for hosting us today, and for allowing us to use 

their excellent facility, and from my standpoint particularly, it is 

just great to be here and to be back here. 

Because this is an official Congressional hearing as opposed to a 

town hall meeting, we must abide by certain rules of the Committee on Homeland Security and the U.S. House of Representatives. I kindly wish to remind our guests today that demonstrations 

from the audience, including applause and verbal outbursts, as well 

as use of signs or placards, are a violation of the Rules of the U.S. 

House of Representatives. It is important that we respect the decorum and the rules of this committee. I would also like to remind 

everyone that photography and cameras are limited to accredited 

press only. Without objection, Mr. Glenn ‘‘G.T.’’ Thompson will be 

allowed to sit in on the dais and participate in today’s hearing, and 

it is ordered. 

The Chair now recognizes himself for an opening statement. 

Our Nation is in the midst of a deadly epidemic. Since 1999, the 

Center for Disease Control estimates that overdose deaths in the 

United States from opioid substances, like prescription painkillers, 

heroin, and fentanyl have more than quadrupled. In 2016 alone, 67 

percent of all drug-related overdoses Nation-wide involved prescripVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
2 

tion and illicit opioids, totaling an estimated 42,000 deaths. This is 

a crisis that has affected the entire American homeland. No State 

or community has been spared from devastating impacts of opioid 

abuse. 

In my home Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where today we 

meet in this historic State Capitol Building, the epidemic has hit 

especially hard. In 2016, over 4,600 Pennsylvanians lost their lives 

due to drug overdoses. Moreover, in that same year, Pennsylvania 

had the fourth-highest rate of deaths due to opioid-related drug 

overdoses out of all 50 States, tallying 37.9 deaths for every 

100,000 people. While I am usually proud to tout statistics about 

how Pennsylvania is leading the Nation, this is one instance I wish 

I could say Pennsylvania is not at the forefront. 

Despite this disheartening reality, I am proud of my Commonwealth for taking a strong and unified stance in its response to the 

opioid crisis. Since January, Pennsylvania has been operating 

under a State-wide disaster declaration in response to the epidemic. The disaster declaration has allowed the Commonwealth to 

mobilize State resources, improve coordination between State agencies with the establishment of the Opioid Command Center, and increase access to treatment for those most in need. As a result of 

this unified effort, 3,660 calls have been made to the Drug and Alcohol Program hotline, and 29,208 doses of naloxone have been distributed across the State resulting in 1,436 overdose reversals. Additionally, Pennsylvania’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program is 

accredited with helping to reduce the number of opioids prescribed. 

From 2016 to 2017, the number of opioids prescribed in Pennsylvania decreased by 14 percent, which is the second-highest reduction rate across the country. Pennsylvania can certainly be proud 

of this statistic. 

In addition to State and local efforts, the Federal Government 

also plays a major role in fighting the opioid crisis. For example, 

the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation coordinates with 

local law enforcement on investigations regarding narcotics smuggling and helps provide training to State and local officials. DHS’s 

Customs and Border Protection works to interdict the flow of 

opioids from places like China and Mexico at ports of entry and 

international mail facilities. In addition, CBP officers provide support to the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center, one of Pennsylvania’s three information-sharing fusion centers, which I had an 

opportunity to visit earlier today. 

The opioid epidemic poses a unique challenge for Federal, State, 

and local officials. Opioids are often more readily available than 

other types of drugs, with CDC estimating that in 2016, 40 percent 

of opioid-related overdose deaths involved prescriptions that can be 

obtained by—from a physician. Additionally, e-commerce in the 

modern world and the high value of small doses of synthetic opioids 

like fentanyl have allowed transnational criminal organizations 

and drug dealers to distribute opioids in nontraditional ways by exploiting the internet and postal service and cutting out the middlemen normally targeted by law enforcement during drug investigations. 

3 

These challenges underscore the importance of understanding 

and reinforcing the relationship between Federal entities and the 

State and local officials in order to create a force multiplier to tackle this devastating and deadly epidemic. This is a complex crisis 

that calls for a multifaceted response from public officials at all levels. 

Last week, my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives 

and I passed a multitude of bills aimed at fighting the opioid epidemic that is crippling our communities. For example, one bill requires the United States Postal Service to transmit advanced electronic data to CBP on certain international packages in order to 

enhance the targeting of suspicious packages. Numerous other bills 

also offered solutions to this crisis by addressing treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts. 

I want to thank our panel for appearing before the subcommittee 

this morning on this very important issue. I look forward to learning more about the Department of Homeland Security’s coordination with State and local officials in the Commonwealth in order 

to combat the opioid epidemic and protect the homeland. 

[The statement of Chairman Perry follows:] 

STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN SCOTT PERRY

JUNE 19, 2018 

Our Nation is in the midst of a deadly epidemic. Since 1999, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that overdose deaths in the United States from opioid 

substances, like prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl have more than quadrupled. In 2016 alone, 67 percent of all drug-related overdose deaths Nation-wide 

involved prescription and illicit opioids, totaling an estimated 42,000 deaths. This 

is a crisis that has affected the entire American homeland. No State or community 

has been spared from devastating impacts of opioid abuse. 

In my home State of Pennsylvania, where today we meet in the historic State 

Capitol Building, the epidemic has hit especially hard. In 2016, over 4,600 Pennsylvanians lost their lives due to drug overdoses. Moreover, in that same year, 

Pennsylvania had the fourth-highest rate of deaths due to opioid-related drug 

overdoses out of all 50 States, tallying 37.9 deaths for every 100,000 people. While 

I am usually proud to tout statics about how Pennsylvania is leading the Nation, 

this is one instance I wish I could say Pennsylvania is not at the forefront. 

Despite this disheartening reality, I am proud of my State for taking a strong and 

unified stance in its response to the opioid crisis. Since January, Pennsylvania has 

been operating under a State-wide disaster declaration in response to the epidemic. 

The disaster declaration has allowed the Commonwealth to mobilize State resources, improve coordination between State agencies with the establishment of the 

Opioid Command Center, and increase access to treatment for those most in need. 

As a result of this unified effort, 3,660 calls have been made to the Drug and Alcohol Program hotline, and 29,208 doses of naloxone have been distributed across the 

State resulting in 1,436 overdose reversals. Additionally, Pennsylvania’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program is accredited with helping to reduce the number of 

opioids prescribed. From 2016 to 2017, the number of opioids prescribed in Pennsylvania decreased by 14 percent, which is the second-highest reduction rate across the 

country. Pennsylvania can certainly be proud of this statistic. 

In addition to State and local efforts, the Federal Government also plays a major 

role in fighting the opioid crisis. For example, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) coordinates with local law enforcement on investigations regarding narcotics smuggling and helps provide training to State and local officials. DHS’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) works to interdict the flow of opioids from places 

like China and Mexico at ports of entry and international mail facilities. In addition, 

CBP officers provide support to the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center, one 

of Pennsylvania’s three information-sharing fusion centers, which I had an opportunity to visit earlier today. 

4 

The opioid epidemic poses a unique challenge for Federal, State, and local officials. Opioids are often more readily available than other types of drugs, with the 

CDC estimating that in 2016, 40 percent of opioid-related overdose deaths involved 

prescriptions that could be obtained from a physician. Additionally, e-commerce in 

the modern world and the high value of small doses of synthetic opioids like 

fentanyl have allowed transnational criminal organizations and drug dealers to distribute opioids in nontraditional ways by exploiting the internet and postal service 

and cutting out the middlemen normally targeted by law enforcement during drug 

investigations. 

These challenges underscore the importance of understanding and reinforcing the 

relationship between Federal entities and State and local officials in order to create 

a force multiplier to tackle this devastating and deadly epidemic. This is a complex 

crisis that calls for a multi-faceted response from public officials at all levels. 

Last week, my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and I passed a 

multitude of bills aimed at fighting the opioid epidemic that is crippling our communities. For example, one bill requires the United States Postal Service (USPS) to 

transmit advance electronic data to CBP on certain international packages in order 

to enhance the targeting of suspicious packages. Numerous other bills also offered 

solutions to this crisis by addressing treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts. 

I want to thank our panel for appearing before the subcommittee this morning 

on this very important issue. I look forward to learning more about the Department 

of Homeland Security’s coordination with State and local officials in the Commonwealth in order to combat the opioid epidemic and protect the homeland. 

Mr. PERRY. Other Members are reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record. 

[The statement of Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson follows:] 

STATEMENT OF RANKING MEMBER BENNIE G. THOMPSON

JUNE 19, 2018 

Each day, more than 115 people die in America from opioid-related drug 

overdoses, and the number of deaths is on the rise. In 2016, more than 15,000 drug 

overdose deaths involved heroin and more than 19,000 involved synthetic opioids 

such as fentanyl. The opioid epidemic is truly a National problem affecting people 

of all races, income levels, and ages. 

The impact of the epidemic is felt not only by families and communities who have 

lost loved ones, but it also negatively affects the country’s health care system and 

economy. 

Unfortunately, President Trump has not implemented a National drug control 

strategy to stem the flow of opioids across America’s borders. Rather, Trump has 

cobbled together bad policies aimed at reducing opioid prescriptions and increasing 

prison sentences. These policies ignore the fact that most fentanyl misuse is attributed to illicitly-produced fentanyl being trafficked from China. Also, as demonstrated in the 1980’s during the crack cocaine epidemic, tougher prison sentences 

don’t result in less access to drugs. 

History tells us that ramping up law enforcement as a response to a health crisis 

disproportionately affects minority communities. Under the ‘‘war on drugs’’ approach—which Attorney General Jeff Sessions has alluded to bringing back—the 

Nation’s prison population rapidly multiplied, filling America’s prisons mostly with 

first-time offender, African American men facing harsh sentences. Those struggling 

with drug abuse, regardless of their demographics, ought to be given the proper 

treatment and rehabilitation services. 

Moreover, President Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy and obsession 

with building a border wall has distracted him from the real need to increase resources at ports of entry and mail facilities to detect and seize opioids. The vast majority of all opioids entering the United States are seized at ports of entry across 

the United States. Prioritizing the border wall over ports of entry will impede our 

ability to end the opioid crisis. 

Today, the House voted on H.R. 5762, the ‘‘Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid 

Trafficking Act,’’ a Democratic measure introduced by my colleague Mr. Langevin, 

to help prevent the trafficking of opioids into the United States. The ‘‘Joint Task 

Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act of 2018’’ authorizes the Department of 

Homeland Security to establish a Joint Task Force to better coordinate the interdiction of fentanyl and other opioids. This important bill was reported by the Committee on Homeland Security on a bipartisan basis. 

5 

Fusion centers can play a critical role in ending America’s opioid epidemic. Originally created to gather and share intelligence following the attacks of 9/11, fusion 

centers have started collecting data on drug overdoses and seizures to identify 

emerging trends to reduce the severity and prevent overdoses all together. Therefore, I look forward to today’s hearing highlighting what fusions centers composed 

of Federal, State, and local officials can accomplish when they work together, especially to save lives. 

Mr. PERRY. We are honored to have witnesses with a broad range 

of experience on the front lines and the fight against opioids before 

us today. The witness’ entire written statements will appear in the 

record. The Chair will introduce the witnesses first, and then recognize each of the witnesses for their testimony. 

But before I do that, I just want to recognize my colleague, G.T., 

if he has any opening comments. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Thank you. Chairman Perry, thank you 

for your leadership on this issue. 

This is the public health crisis of our lifetime. There is not a zip 

code in Pennsylvania or across this Nation that is not impacted by 

this. It is stealing lives, stealing potential, stealing work force from 

our economy. It is—the impact on families is just tragic, and it is 

so complex. That is the difficulty with this. There are so many different pathways that people can find themselves in these dire situations where they wind up as addicts and perhaps overdosing and 

losing their lives. 

So like any epidemic—and this is certainly what I consider this 

to be—the best way to deal with an epidemic is to surround it and 

look at all the root causes and the different contributing factors, 

and you are doing that with your leadership. So first of all, thank 

you for allowing me to sit in as a—on this—as a part of this committee for today. 

It is an all hands on deck. I know in my areas of responsibility, 

specifically two of my committees, we are also very involved in this 

fight against substance abuse. Specifically today, opioids and heroin—although I do always like to caution that the drug may be the 

flavor of the day based on economics and access, and we need to 

be looking at substance abuse behaviors if we truly are going to be 

successful in this. 

I know with the Agriculture Committee—and we are going to be 

hopefully voting into this week on a farm bill. The farm bill has 

resources in it for rural communities to be able to deal with this 

issue. The Education Workforce Committee that I serve as a senior 

member of, we have a number of bills that are part of the plethora 

of bills that were—came out of the Education Workforce Committee. 

So that is why I am so appreciative that you have brought this 

to a place that is very familiar with this fight. I am appreciative 

of what our colleagues here in Harrisburg, State House, and State 

Senate have done on this issue. We just know that there is a lot 

of work left to be done, and so I am appreciative of you bringing 

this opportunity, this hearing here to Harrisburg to the State Capitol, and thank you for the folks here in Harrisburg that made that 

happen. 

Mr. PERRY. Well G.T., we are privileged to have you here. 

Thanks for taking the time and—you know, we were just at the Fusion Center looking at and getting briefings, but one of the things, 

6 

looking at the map, you know, of course I was very interested in 

the area that I am privileged to represent, but I also couldn’t help 

but take notice of your area and how things—how it is affecting 

that area, which you know, if you look at the area that I represent 

and the area that G.T. represents, it is very different. But one 

thing unfortunately it has in common is this is prolific throughout. 

So we are happy to have you here. Thanks for making the time. 

The Chair will now recognize the—our witnesses. Mr. Marlon 

Miller is a special agent in charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigation, or HSI’s, office in Philadelphia. Special Agent Miller 

joined the Customs Service in 1991 and has served in front line 

and leadership capacities at postings across the country. Mr. Miller, we are privileged to have you. Thank you. 

Ms. Casey Owen Durst is the director of field operations at CBP’s 

Baltimore field office and is responsible for field operations in midAtlantic—in the mid-Atlantic, including Delaware, Maryland, 

Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Northern Virginia. The 

DFO—DFO Durst has served in a variety of positions at key ports 

of entry during her time with CBP, and she talked in the previous 

briefing about the breadth and the scope and the scale of what she 

has to deal with, and I hope she can impart some of that to the 

rest of the audience today so you can see what we are dealing with 

here. 

The Honorable David Sunday is the district attorney for York 

County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Sunday worked in both the district attorney’s office and private practice prior to being sworn in as the 

district attorney in January 2018, and just as an aside, he—you 

know, with the Heroin and Opioid Drug Task Force in York County 

has kind-of really set the bar, not only for the area, but across 

Pennsylvania, and maybe even across the country, which is one of 

the reasons we asked him to be here today, and we are really 

proud to have him. 

Mr. Raymond Singley is the director of the Bureau of Records 

and Identifications for the Pennsylvania State Police Department. 

Mr. Singley has spent most of his career in counter-narcotics work, 

including serving as the director of Drug Law Enforcement Division. Mr. Singley was promoted to Major just last month, so we 

congratulate you, and we are privileged to have you. 

Thank you all for being here today. At this time, the Chair will 

recognize Special Agent Miller for your testimony, sir. 

STATEMENT OF MARLON V. MILLER, SPECIAL AGENT IN 

CHARGE—PHILADELPHIA, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS 

ENFORCEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 

Mr. MILLER. Good afternoon, Chairman Perry, Representative 

Thompson. Thank you for this opportunity to appear before you 

today to discuss the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania and around 

the United States, and the efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to target, investigate, disrupt, dismantle, and 

bring to justice the criminal elements responsible for the manufacturing, smuggling, and distribution of dangerous opioids. 

As the largest investigative agency within the U.S. Department 

of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations invesVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
7 

tigates and enforces over 400 Federal criminal statutes. Each of 

our special agents use their broad authority to investigate all types 

of cross-border criminal activity. 

In Pennsylvania, HSI is working closely with the U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. 

Postal Inspection Service, State and local law enforcement like 

Pennsylvania State Police, in a unified effort to target 

transnational criminal organizations that are supplying dangerous 

opioids to the United States. 

Today I would like to highlight our efforts to reduce the supply 

of illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl from entering in the 

United States for delivery in Pennsylvania, as well as operational 

challenges we encounter. Based on our collaborative efforts in the— 

with U.S. law enforcement, we have identified China and Mexico 

as primary sources fueling the illicit opioid threat. Once in the 

Western Hemisphere, often in Mexico, fentanyl, or its analogs, are 

prepared, mixed with other narcotics and fillers and pressed into 

pill form and then moved to illicit U.S. markets where the demand 

for prescription opioids and heroin remain at epidemic levels. 

In Pennsylvania, HSI’s primary concern is simultaneously addressing two unique but related threats: The inundation of highly 

pure Chinese China-sourced fentanyl being delivered through U.S. 

mail in small quantities to the U.S.-based suppliers, re-shippers, 

and ultimately end-users, and No. 2, Mexican-sourced fentanyl in 

bulk quantities but with less purity being smuggled across the 

Southwest Border for cross-country transportation and delivery 

into the Pennsylvania region. 

Regardless of the smuggling method or whether these opioids are 

ultimately being sold on the street corners or over the dark net, the 

reality is that once in Pennsylvania, fentanyl is most frequently 

marketed by drug dealers as heroin and a prescription opioid, and 

the end-user may not be aware of the presence of fentanyl. 

HSI special agents in Pennsylvania are battling this head-on. In 

2017, I created an HSI Cybercrimes Investigative Task Force in 

Philadelphia to tackle the unique challenges posed by Chinesesourced and dark net-enabled synthetic opioids in Pennsylvania. 

This task force works closely with CBP, Pennsylvania State Police, 

DEA, U.S. Postal Inspectors, and the Pennsylvania National 

Guard’s Drug-Counterdrug Program and is using every advanced 

technological and law enforcement tool available to address this 

growing problem. 

The task force’s mission is to—it has adapted to now prioritizing 

more than ever investigations of the dark net vendors whose illicit 

opioid trafficking activities have resulted in identified overdose and 

overdose deaths in our region. In the western part of Pennsylvania, 

HSI has developed a collaborative relationship with the Allegheny 

County Medical Examiner’s Office drug laboratory. HSI special 

agents encounter suspected fentanyl and fentanyl analogs through 

partial interdictions and enforcement actions. The substances are 

turned over to the lab for identification and analysis. The lab is 

able to provide the results of their testing back to the agents and 

prosecutors within 24 hours, which is key to enabling HSI agents 

and law enforcement partners the opportunity to rapidly progress 

opioid smuggling investigations for arrests and prosecutions. 

8 

Tackling this complex threat involves a unified, comprehensive, 

and aggressive approach across law enforcement and collaboration 

with experts in the medical, science, and public health communities. HSI will continue to work with our State and local and Federal partners to improve the efficiency of information sharing and 

operational coordination to address the challenges and threats 

posed by illicit narcotics smuggling into the United States. 

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today, and 

I will be pleased to answer the questions you have. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Miller follows:] 

STATEMENT OF MARLON V. MILLER

JUNE 19, 2018 

Chairman Perry, Ranking Member Correa, and distinguished Members: Thank 

you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the opioid epidemic 

in the United States, particularly in Pennsylvania, and the efforts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle 

the criminal networks responsible for the manufacturing, smuggling, and distribution of dangerous opioids. 

As the largest investigative agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (OHS), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigates and enforces 

more than 400 Federal criminal statutes to include the Immigration and Nationality 

Act under Title 8, U.S. customs laws under Title 19, general Federal crimes under 

Title 18, and the Controlled Substances Act under Title 21. HSI Special Agents use 

this authority to investigate all types of cross-border criminal activity and work in 

close coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and 

our State, local, Tribal, and international partners in a unified effort, to target the 

Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) that are supplying illicit substances, 

to include opioids, to the United States. 

Today, I would like to highlight our efforts to reduce the supply of illicit opioids, 

such as heroin and fentanyl, coming into the United States and the operational 

challenges we encounter. 

INTRODUCTION TO ILLICIT OPIOID SMUGGLING

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic that was created by licit 

prescription opioids and is exacerbated by the smuggling and trafficking of heroin 

and illicit fentanyl. Based on investigative efforts, U.S. law enforcement has identified China as the primary source, and Mexico as the primary transit country, of the 

U.S. illicit fentanyl threat. 

Illicit fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and their immediate precursors are most often 

produced in China. From China, these substances are shipped through mail carriers 

or express consignment carriers (ECCs), such as OHL, FedEx, or UPS directly to 

the United States. or alternatively shipped TCOs in Mexico. Once in the Western 

Hemisphere, fentanyl or its analogues are prepared and mixed with other narcotics 

and fillers and/or pressed into pill form, and then sold to consumers in the U.S. 

market, where the use of prescription opioids and heroin remains at epidemic levels. 

The opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania is not dissimilar to the epidemic in the rest 

of United States. Recent statistics show that Pennsylvania has the fourth most 

opioid-involved overdose deaths in the country; and ranks 12th in opioid-involved 

deaths per 100,000. CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics documents that 

Pennsylvania is among the States that have overdose death-rates statistically higher than the average U.S. rate per 100,000. Some of these deaths are being caused 

by the abuse of illicit synthetic opioids sourced in China and transiting Mexico. In 

some cases, regional distributors smuggle industrial pill presses and components 

into the United States to operate fentanyl tableting operations domestically. 

Due to the convenience of the internet and the anonymity of the dark net and 

crypto-currencies, Pennsylvania is also seeing a substantial inflow of synthetic 

opioids and other dangerous drugs direct from China, and transiting Mexico. These 

substances are of particular concern because they are primarily synthetic and can 

have potency rates of 90 percent and higher. These extremely high potency rates 

cause a two-fold problem for law enforcement. Not only does this mean that officers 

need to understand how to protect themselves from exposure in the field, but drug 

9 

trafficking organizations can create exponentially larger profits and significantly 

larger quantities of final product from a very small amount of raw substances. For 

example, 10 grams of 90 percent pure synthetic Chinese-sourced fentanyl can be 

used to produce over 10,000 illicit oxycodone pills resulting in dramatically higher 

death rates than medical-grade oxycodone pills. Mexican TCOs have seized upon the 

profit potential of synthetic opioids, and seem to have invested in growing their 

share of this illicit market. For example, one kilogram of fentanyl can be purchased 

in China for $3,000–$5,000 and can generate upwards of $1.5 million in revenue on 

the illicit market. We are even seeing some instances in which precursors originating in China and smuggled into the United States have traveled through the 

United States, destined for Southwest Border locations. The Mexican TCOs have 

then smuggled the precursors out of the United States, synthesized them into 

fentanyl, and imported the finished product back into the United States for distribution and consumption. The final product can be advertised as heroin, and the enduser may not be aware of the presence of fentanyl. 

ILLICIT OPIOID SHIPMENTS VIA INTERNATIONAL MAIL AND EXPRESS CONSIGNMENT

FACILITIES

Seizures of illicit fentanyl and other opioids at international mail facilities and express consignment facilities have significantly increased over the last 2 years. 

Though fentanyl seizures made at land border ports of entry are higher in number 

and larger in volume, the fentanyl seizures from mail and ECC facilities are much 

higher in purity and are therefore much more deadly. Laboratory results of tested 

fentanyl has identified that the majority of illicit fentanyl seized in the international 

mail and ECC environments is shipped in concentrations of over 90 percent, whereas the majority of fentanyl in the land border port of entry environment is seized 

in concentrations of less than 10 percent. Purchasers can also access open-source 

and dark web marketplaces for illicit opioids like fentanyl, where they can be easily 

purchased. 

Just as TCOs attempt to hide illicit smuggling at the land border ports of entry 

by blending into the voluminous daily legitimate cross-border traffic, TCOs are exploiting the great volumes of mail and parcels entering and crossing the United 

States as a means to conceal their criminal activity. The challenge for law enforcement is to find the resources to target, identify, interdict, and investigate every prospective 10-gram parcel of fentanyl, which is approximately the size of 21⁄2 packets 

of sugar. In an effort to combat opioid trafficking through the mail and express consignment shipments, HSI is drawing on advance data, targeting supply chain networks, coordinating with domestic and international partners, and providing field 

training to highlight officer safety, trends, and collaboration benefits with partners 

such as CBP, the DEA, and the USPIS. 

In Philadelphia, for example, HSI is leading a Cyber Crimes Investigations Task 

Force with full participation from the key law enforcement agencies mentioned 

above. This task force, which I will address in more detail in a few moments, targets 

overseas and domestic dark net vendors perpetuating the Nation’s opioid crisis 

through the sale of fentanyl analogs and other dangerous synthetic narcotics. A few 

of the task force’s recent law enforcement actions speak to impact furthering this 

effort can have on addressing our local epidemic. 

For example, in May 2017, HSI’s Cyber Crimes Investigations Task Force in 

Philadelphia arrested a narcotics trafficker near Philadelphia who acted as a largescale domestic reshipper for a Chinese drug trafficking organization. This individual 

operated a clandestine distribution operation out of a storage facility where he received hundreds of international mail shipments containing small quantities of synthetic opioids direct from China. HSI’s investigation revealed the trafficker then redistributed those drugs to users throughout the United States using U.S. domestic 

mail parcels. To date, HSI special agents have attributed at least 39 overdose 

deaths to this drug trafficking organization. 

On an unrelated case later in 2017, HSI’s Task Force dismantled a dark net drug 

trafficking organization that operated what are believed to be two of the largest-ever 

clandestine fentanyl tableting laboratories in Pennsylvania. This dark net operation 

sourced fentanyl and other dangerous drugs directly from China using the international mail; purchased pharmaceutical grade manufacturing equipment including 

automated pill presses capable of producing 40,000 pills an hour; and rented commercial warehouses in parts of Eastern Pennsylvania to operate their clandestine 

laboratories. Although HSI has not attributed any overdose deaths to this operation 

to date, it is believed that HSI interdicted this operation before it products were 

fully distributed. In fact, HSI seized enough product and drugs from these two clandestine fentanyl tableting laboratories to ultimately produce millions of fentanylVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
10 

laced pills that could have inevitably resulted in mass overdose deaths. While this 

investigation remains on-going, the intelligence developed from the enforcement actions has provided law enforcement with insights into the means and methods of 

establishing such dark net vendor accounts. 

While HSI’s efforts in Philadelphia have led to increased seizures and prosecutions of illicit opioid traffickers, more needs to be done. HSI is fully engaged with 

the DEA Special Operations Division (SOD) and the CBP National Targeting Center 

(NTC) to identify shipment routes and leverage advance data to target parcels that 

may contain illicit opioids and manufacturing materials and to conduct full financial 

and investigative analyses. While this is a good start, we recognize much more 

needs to be done. 

Recognizing the need for greater action, HSI, CBP, and the USPIS are collaborating in the development of a more robust, Nation-wide effort to identify illicit 

opioids in mail facilities and interdict them. HSI is expanding the number of its 

trained investigators assigned to international mail facilities. These additional investigators will be seeking to conduct long-term, complex criminal investigations 

into opioid trafficking activities, with the goal of achieving additional significant seizures and arrests. These seizures and arrests will help disrupt the movement of illicit opioids and opioid precursors transiting through the mail and express consignment shipments, and will aid in the dismantling of distribution networks. The ultimate goal of course, is to reduce overdose deaths in the United States. 

SMUGGLING OF BULK FENTANYL AND HEROIN INTO PENNSYLVANIA

A significant quantity of bulk Mexico-sourced heroin, and Chinese-sourced 

fentanyl transiting through Mexico, entering or transiting Pennsylvania is smuggled 

across the shared border with Mexico via the land border ports of entry. Like other 

narcotics supplied by Mexico, heroin and fentanyl loads are often smuggled utilizing 

deep concealment within passenger vehicles, as the TCOs exploit the high volume 

of cross-border traffic at our ports of entry as part of their smuggling efforts. Heroin 

and fentanyl loads are also smuggled by pedestrians entering the United States at 

ports of entry, often concealed on their person, or in their bags or backpacks. 

Loaded vehicles often contain multiple types of illicit drugs, which we refer to as 

‘‘poly loads’’ or ‘‘mixed loads,’’ diversifying their illicit product inventory to include 

increased amounts of heroin and fentanyl while also continuing to source methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs. HSI, as the investigative agency responsible for investigating smuggling at the ports of entry, works closely with CBP, to 

ensure that smuggling incidents with a nexus to Pennsylvania are vigorously investigated, and expanded to the networks behind the smuggling attempt. 

Additionally, intelligence developed through HSI’s investigative efforts is shared 

with CBP to enhance and refine their targeting and interdiction efforts at the ports 

of entry. 

All of the drug supply entering the United States via the Southwest Border can 

be attributed to transnational criminal organizations. HSI continues to investigate 

and identify the leadership of these organizations to attack the critical organizational nodes of smuggling facilitators and financial networks that sustain their operations. 

ICE’S COLLABORATIVE LINES OF EFFORT IN PENNSYLVANIA

There is no single entity or solution that can stop the flow of dangerous illicit 

drugs such as fentanyl into the United States or keep them from harming the American public. Tackling this complex threat involves a united, comprehensive strategy 

and aggressive approach by multiple entities across all levels of government. Therefore, ICE, through its investigative arm, HSI, has long had inter-agency collaboration as one of its operational pillars. Law enforcement partnerships in Pennsylvania 

are uniquely strong, and all agencies are committed to doing everything they can 

to defeat the heroin and fentanyl crisis that is gripping our Nation. Through partnerships across Pennsylvania, across the Nation, and across the globe, HSI’s commitment to collaboration is having a significant and positive impact. 

Cyber Crimes Task Forces 

To that end, and as I briefly mentioned earlier, my office in Philadelphia recently 

established the Cyber Crimes Investigations Task Force to take on the unique challenges posed by Chinese-sourced and synthetic opioids sold through the dark net in 

Pennsylvania. HSI leads this task force in partnership with the Pennsylvania State 

Police, USPIS, the DEA, and the Pennsylvania National Guard’s Counter Drug Program. The goal of the Task Force is to use every advanced technological law enforcement tool at our disposal and leverage HSI’s strong State and Federal partnerships 

11 

to address this growing problem. Specifically, the strategy of this group is to target 

both the source of supply as well as the financial chokepoints of this criminal activity. This HSI-led task force is uniquely positioned to target dark net vendors using 

HSI’s robust undercover platforms; leveraging its extensive foreign law enforcement 

partnerships through its attache ́ offices in China, Canada, and Europe; exercising 

its unique customs authorities and expansive cyber expertise and capabilities; and 

using the most advanced technical analytical capabilities to target crypto-currency 

money launderers that enable the dark net transnational drug trafficking activities. 

This group has invested in the necessary resources, the latest technologies, and leveraged all possible partnerships to address the issues. However, more funding and 

resources are needed as we attempt to stay one step ahead of narcotics traffickers 

who continue to exploit and adapt new technologies to mask their illicit operations. 

Border Enforcement Security Taskforces (BESTs) 

Border Enforcement Security Taskforces (BESTs) are DHS’s primary platform to 

investigate opioid smuggling domestically. ICE currently operates BESTs in 62 locations throughout the United States. During fiscal year 2017, the number of BESTs 

increased 30 percent in response to the President’s Executive Order 13773, Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking. BESTs leverage the participation of more than 

1,000 Federal, State, local, Tribal, and foreign law enforcement agents and officers 

representing over 100 law enforcement agencies to target opioid smuggling. In 

Pennsylvania, HSI oversees two BESTs, one that covers Philadelphia’s sprawling 

seaport facilities and another at the Philadelphia International Airport. BESTs leverage the abilities and authorities of the participating agencies by unifying all 

under a single law enforcement effort. 

These unifying efforts are critical for combatting the TCOs that smuggle fentanyl 

and other drugs from land borders for distribution in our heartland. This real-time 

sharing provides HSI optimal opportunity to efficiently initiate investigations of the 

distribution networks in Pennsylvania. To cite a real-world example, in May 2017, 

Special Agents of HSI Cincinnati, in cooperation with State and local law enforcement in Ohio, conducted a narcotics interdiction operation. The Ohio State Highway 

Patrol employed a narcotics detection K–9, which alerted to the odor of narcotics. 

A search of the vehicle uncovered 6 tape-wrapped bundles containing approximately 

7 kilograms of fentanyl and heroin. The driver informed investigators that he was 

provided the drug-laden vehicle in California to make drug deliveries to a number 

of locations, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. HSI offices in Ohio and Pennsylvania rapidly coordinated to continue the enforcement operation to Philadelphia, 

where my BEST program initiated an investigation that resulted in the identification of a drug-trafficking organization in Philadelphia. Upon arrival in Philadelphia 

the driver of the subject vehicle was directed to a specific location by members of 

the organization, resulting in the arrests of two suspected drug traffickers. This 

case, though certainly not an infrequent occurrence within HSI, speaks to the level 

of seamless coordination that occurs between HSI BEST programs to ensure opioid 

investigations are conducted as comprehensively as possible. 

Partnership with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office 

In the western part of Pennsylvania, HSI has developed a collaborative relationship with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office drug laboratory. As HSI 

agents encounter suspected fentanyl and fentanyl analogues through parcel interdiction and enforcement actions, these substances are turned over to the laboratory for 

identification and analysis. Often, the laboratory is able to provide the results of 

their testing back to agents and prosecutors within 24 hours allowing for controlled 

deliveries and prosecutorial charging decisions. 

In May 2017, after HSI seized an international parcel, the Allegheny County lab 

determined the contents to consist of 100 grams of cyclopropyl fentanyl, representing the first known identification of this analogue in the United States. HSI 

agents conducted a controlled delivery which led to the identification of an individual who was known by local authorities to be a street-level dealer. Further investigation by HSI determined that the individual had received multiple parcels from 

China and that he was more than likely one of the major importers/distributors in 

western Pennsylvania. During the execution of a search warrant at a residence, one 

subject who was at the time in the process of packaging fentanyl and cutting compounds for resale overturned the table in front of him and attempted to flee, causing 

the substances to become airborne. Several law enforcement officers were exposed 

to the airborne substance and one officer subsequently exhibited symptoms, including a tingling sensation and shortness of breath; resulting in on-site treatment by 

EMTs. The officer was transported in an abundance of caution to a local hospital 

12 

for evaluation of possible exposure. Fortunately, HSI had followed the agency safety 

protocol and had an emergency medical technician and clandestine laboratory response team on standby near the scene of the search warrant. 

This investigation highlights some of the major challenges law enforcement faces 

in the fight against opioids. The relationship with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has been beneficial in identifying these substances. The Medical Examiner’s Office shared the information about the identification of cyclopropyl 

fentanyl within the medical examiner community and learned that this fentanyl 

analogue was the cause of overdose deaths in one midwestern State and one State 

in the Pacific Northwest. This case also highlights the risk of exposure to agents, 

officers, and first responders who may encounter these dangerous substances during 

the course of their duties. 

High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs) 

Created by Congress through the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, and led by the 

Office of National Drug Control Policy, the HIDTA program provides assistance to 

Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. Like the BESTs, 

the HIDTA Task Forces ensure that the concerns of all the participating agencies, 

to include the State, local, and Tribal agencies, are included in investigative priorities; which certainly includes the impact of heroin and fentanyl on their communities. HSI works very closely with all Pennsylvania HIDTA member agencies. In 

Philadelphia, HSI leads and houses the Liberty Mid-Atlantic’s Money Laundering 

and Asset Forfeiture Task Force. 

ICE’S USE OF COLLABORATION CENTERS OUTSIDE OF PENNSYLVANIA TO ATTACK THE

THREAT IN PENNSYLVANIA

National Targeting Center—Investigations (NTC–I) 

ICE HSI participates in CBP’s NTC program through the National Targeting Center—Investigations (NTC–I), which leverages intelligence gathered during HSI investigations and exploits it using CBP advance data to target the flow of drugs into 

the United States. The NTC–I works to share information between CBP and ICE 

HSI entities world-wide. 

ICE HSI has assigned special agents to work within the NTC Cargo (NTC–C) 

Narcotics Division. These special agents serve as liaisons between the NTC and ICE 

HSI personnel in both domestic and international posts. HSI investigative case data 

is fused with CBP targeting information to bolster investigations targeting illicit 

opioid smuggling and trafficking organizations. HSI and CBP in Pennsylvania share 

heroin and fentanyl seizure data and intelligence with the NTC to ensure the maximum exploitation of our combined efforts, more complete targeting, and more robust and impactful investigations. HSI in Pennsylvania receives training from the 

NTC to ensure our investigators and analysts are apprised of the latest narcotics 

smuggling and trafficking trends and tactics utilized by TCOs. 

NTC–I conducts post-seizure analysis based on ICE seizures in the field and CBP 

seizures at the ports of entry. The analysis is critical to identifying networks that 

transport illicit opioids throughout the United States. The resulting products are 

then shared with the affected HSI offices in the form of investigative leads. Another 

key component of the post-seizure analysis is the financial investigation. The NTC– 

I focuses on the financial element of the smuggling organization by exploiting information gathered from multiple financial databases. 

Cyber Crimes Division 

The ICE HSI Cyber Crimes Division provides support and assistance to field cyber 

investigations targeting dark net illicit marketplaces, where fentanyl and chemical 

precursors proliferate. This includes significant support to our efforts in Pennsylvania to stand-up a fully-functioning and adequately-equipped Cyber Crimes Investigations Task Force. Recognizing the need to proactively target on-line opioid trafficking, the ICE HSI Cyber Crimes Division is identifying on-going investigations 

and facilitating the coordination of on-line and in-person undercover operations conducted in furtherance of dark net illicit marketplaces. 

As criminal activity, and especially the trade of illicit opioids, continues to migrate 

to the on-line world, ICE HSI faces growing demand for cyber investigative assistance. Through the Human Exploitation Rescue Operative (HERO) program, the 

Cyber Crimes Division is training military veterans and transitioning service members to continue their service to the Nation in the field of computer forensics. HSI 

in the Philadelphia area recently employed one HERO intern a full-time computer 

forensic agent following completion of his internship in Philadelphia, bolstering our 

ability to fight cyber-enabled crimes. 

13 

Special Operations Division (SOD) 

The DEA’s Special Operations Division (SOD) Heroin and Fentanyl Task Force 

(HFTF) is supported by ICE, CBP, DEA, USPIS, and several other Federal agencies. 

The SOD-led, interagency task force exploits electronic communications to 

proactively identify, disrupt, and dismantle the production, transportation, and financial networks behind heroin and illicit fentanyl distribution organizations that 

impact the United States. 

The HFTF leverages the collaborative use of each agency’s authorities and unique 

capabilities in order to better share and deconflict information. The HFTF works together to target international and domestic organizations by proactively working 

with field offices. The task force also assists in coordinating and linking investigations from the street-level dealer to the international supply source. 

In Pennsylvania, HSI sends special agents and analysts to SOD, where they coordinate and deconflict investigative data and share best practices with law enforcement partners. HSI personnel advance the mission of SOD through their unique and 

in-depth knowledge of cartels and prolific dark net vendor sites. This expertise, 

honed through their investigative experience in Pennsylvania combined with the resources of SOD and the HFTF, contributes significantly to investigations, not only 

by HSI, but by other agencies, in Pennsylvania and beyond. 

Financial Division 

Identifying, analyzing, and investigating the payment systems that facilitate the 

purchase and smuggling of opioids is critical to the disruption and dismantlement 

of networks that smuggle fentanyl and other illicit opioids into the United States. 

HSI conducts proactive investigations that focus on the two key payment systems, 

which support illicit procurement of opioids: Money service businesses (MSBs) and 

cryptocurrencies. Generally, illicit opioids that are purchased on the ‘‘indexed’’ internet are paid for through licensed mainstream MSBs. On dark net marketplaces and 

other ‘‘unindexed’’ websites, purchases are often paid for with cryptocurrencies such 

as bitcoin. In support of its diverse financial investigative efforts, HSI uses undercover techniques to infiltrate and exploit peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchangers 

who typically launder proceeds for criminal networks engaged in or supporting dark 

net marketplaces. Furthermore, HSI leverages complex Blockchain technology exploitation tools to analyze the digital currency transactions and identify users. A 

number of HSI Philadelphia Special Agents are recognized as experts on the subject 

of cryptocurrencies. They now provide training to our State and local law enforcement partners, thereby enabling a wider array of officers the training on the tools 

necessary to pierce the anonymity relied upon by dark net users. 

HSI created the Money Service Business Initiative to enable the application of advanced data analytics across large amounts of MSB data to isolate criminal networks, highlight suspicious transactions indicative of illicit activity, and provide predictive intelligence. 

With support of its headquarters Financial Division and NTC, HSI in Pennsylvania regularly pursues complex investigations of the drug traffickers’ exploitation 

of our legitimate financial systems, and the laundering and movement of their illicit 

proceeds via trade-based money laundering and the exploitation of cryptocurrencies. 

HSI’s targeting of these types of illicit money laundering networks has been successful in Pennsylvania; since May 2017, my office has seized well over $1 million worth 

of cryptocurrencies from dark net opioid traffickers and have arrested several individuals that act to launder their illicit profits. 

Collectively, efforts in the HSI Philadelphia area of responsibility have resulted 

in the seizure of approximately 267 pounds of opioids in connection with HSI cases; 

and resulted in 154 criminal arrests, from the beginning of fiscal year 2017 to the 

present. 

Nation-wide, our efforts have resulted in the seizure of over 15,000 pounds of 

opioids in connection with HSI cases; and resulted in 7,889 criminal arrests, from 

the beginning of fiscal year 2017 to the present. 

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

HSI in Pennsylvania concentrates on investigations that reveal an international 

nexus. With HSI’s international presence of 67 offices in 50 countries, we are constantly looking to push our investigations beyond our borders. In Pennsylvania, this 

means daily collaboration with our HSI attache ́ and assistant attache ́ offices in 

Mexico and Asia to systemically target overseas sources of opioids and synthetic 

narcotics. Through strategic and targeted intelligence sharing, and joint investigative efforts, the impacts of our investigations are magnified. Whether through binational operations to arrest TCO leadership, or through sharing a piece of intelVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
14 

ligence that may illuminate a previously-unknown network, the building and 

strengthening of these partnerships is key to our efforts to combat the cartels and 

to stop threats, to include illicit opioids, before they reach our borders. 

CONCLUSION

Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you today and for your continued support of HSI and its law enforcement mission. HSI is committed to battling 

the U.S. opioid crisis. This includes HSI’s collaborative efforts to reduce and ultimately stop the flow of these dangerous drugs across the border here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. HSI will continue to vigorously pursue the cartels that 

bring not only heroin and fentanyl to the United States, but other narcotics that 

have a dangerous, and too often deadly, impact on our communities. The opioid crisis is an epidemic that demands continued urgent and immediate action across law 

enforcement agencies and in conjunction with experts in the scientific, medical, and 

public health communities. I appreciate your interest in this important issue and 

look forward to your questions. 

Mr. PERRY. Well, thank you, Special Agent Miller. 

The Chair now recognizes Director Durst for her testimony. 

STATEMENT OF CASEY OWEN DURST, DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS—BALTIMORE FIELD OFFICE, U.S. CUSTOMS AND 

BORDER PROTECTION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Ms. DURST. Chairman Perry and Representative Thompson, 

thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. 

In my 21 years with the former U.S. Customs Service, and now 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, I have had the privilege to 

work at some of the largest airports in the United States, along our 

borders, and at headquarters securing our Nation’s borders while 

facilitating legitimate trade and travel. 

I have seen and experienced first-hand the challenges we face in 

the passenger, trade, express consignment, and international mail 

environments. I have also witnessed the dedication of my colleagues in protecting this Nation. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations 

interdicts drugs and other dangerous items at our ports of entry, 

including mail and express consignment facilities, by leveraging advanced data, automated targeting, intelligence, and the use of detection technology. 

Front-line operations at ports of entry, including drug interdiction activities, are extremely hands-on and we train and equip our 

officers with personal protective equipment. Further, we have deployed naloxone across the country to ensure a swift response if an 

employee or a K–9 is exposed to overdose levels of opioids. 

Nationally in fiscal year 2018 to date, the efforts of U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection has resulted in the seizure of more than 

545,000 pounds of narcotics, including over 38,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 35,000 pounds of cocaine, 2,700 pounds of heroin, 

and 1,200 pounds of illicit fentanyl. 

At our ports of entry and in the international mail and express 

consignment environments, U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

utilizes technology such as nonintrusive inspection, X-ray, and 

gamma ray imaging systems to detect illicit narcotics hidden on 

people, in cargo containers, and in other conveyances entering into 

the United States. 

CBP has also deployed innovative technologies to presumptively 

identify illicit narcotics within minutes. This enhances officer safeVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
15 

ty and allows immediate coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations for possible 

controlled delivery and prosecution. 

In addition to technology, K–9 operations play an invaluable role 

in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s counter-narcotic operations. Concealed human and narcotic detection K–9s are trained 

to detect concealed people and narcotics, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, hashish, ecstasy, fentanyl, and 

fentanyl analogs. In fact, CBP was the first Federal law enforcement agency in the United States to train K–9s to detect fentanyl, 

and our K–9 teams have helped to detect over 240 pounds of 

fentanyl since their training was completed. 

For opioids and fentanyl specifically, transnational criminal organizations attempt to smuggle large quantities of low purity opioids 

through the Southern Border, and small quantities of high purity 

opioids via mail and express consignment. In the international mail 

arena, shipments have increased 200 percent over the past 5 years. 

This increase presents challenges as even small packages of these 

substances can threaten the health and safety of the American people. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is meeting this challenge 

head-on. Recent bilateral agreements regarding advance electronic 

data between United States Postal Service and foreign postal operators have increased our ability to target high-risk shipments. U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection and the United States Postal Service have partnered on an operational targeting program at five of 

our main international mail facilities, with plans for further expansion, and we continue to work with foreign postal operators to highlight the benefits of providing advance data. 

Collaborations such as this with our Federal, State, and local 

partners yield results that enhance the security of our borders and 

our communities. Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

at the area Port of Philadelphia led a multi-agency investigation 

that included Federal task force officers, the Pennsylvania Attorney 

General’s office, and the Philadelphia Police Department that resulted in Federal indictments against six defendants for possession 

with intent to distribute more than 990 pounds of cocaine within 

a school zone. This collaborative effort was an exceptional multiagency narcotics and money laundering case where the lead CBP 

officer was recognized with an outstanding police performance 

award bestowed upon him by the Pennsylvania Narcotics Officers’ 

Association. 

In coordination with our partners and with the continued support of Congress, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue 

to work to prevent the entry of illicit opioids and other narcotics 

into the United States. 

Chairman Perry and Representative Thompson, thank you for 

the opportunity to testify today, and I look forward to your questions. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Durst follows:] 

16 

1https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-taking-actiondrug-addiction-opioid-crisis/ 2https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics. 3https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics. 4https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics. 5These include: acetylfentanyl, butyrylfentanyl, β-hydroxythiofentanyl, α- methylacetylfentanyl, p-fluorobutyrylfentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, pentanoylfentanyl (a.k.a. 

valerylfentanyl), 2-furanylfentanyl, p-fluoroisobutyrylfentanyl, n-hexanoylfentanyl, carfentanil, 

benzodioxolefentanyl, acrylfentanyl, 2,2′-difluorofentanyl, methoxyacetylfentanyl, 

benzoylfentanyl, cyclopropylfentanyl, and hydrocinnamoylfentanyl. 6Synthetic cannabinoids are drugs that do not contain marijuana but are pharmacologically 

similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6527a2.htm). 7Synthetic cathinones, more commonly known as ‘‘bath salts,’’ are synthetic drugs chemically 

related to cathinone, a stimulant found in the khat plant (https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/synthetic-cathinones-bath-salts). 8This includes approximately 440 lbs. seized at POEs (including mail and ECC facilities) and 

104 lbs. seized at U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints. 9https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics-fy2017. 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF CASEY OWEN DURST

JUNE 19, 2018 

INTRODUCTION

Chairman Perry, Ranking Member Correa, and distinguished Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear today to discuss the role of U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in combating the flow of opioids, including 

synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, into the United States. The opioid crisis is one 

of the most important, complex, and difficult challenges our Nation faces today, and 

was declared a National Emergency by President Donald Trump in October of last 

year.1

As America’s unified border agency, CBP plays a critical role in preventing illicit 

narcotics, including opioids, from reaching the American public. CBP leverages targeting and intelligence-driven strategies, and works in close coordination with our 

partners as part of our multi-layered, risk-based approach to enhance the security 

of our borders and our country. This layered approach reduces our reliance on any 

single point or program, and extends our zone of security outward, ensuring our 

physical border is not the first or last line of defense, but one of many. 

OPIOID TRENDS, INTERDICTIONS, AND CHALLENGES

In fiscal year 2018 to-date, the efforts of Office of Field Operations (OFO) and 

U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) personnel resulted in the seizure of more than 545,000 

lbs. of narcotics including over 38,000 lbs. of methamphetamine, over 35,000 lbs. of 

cocaine, and over 2,700 lbs. of heroin.2 CBP seizures of illicit fentanyl have significantly increased from approximately 2 lbs. seized in fiscal year 2013 to approximately 1,131 lbs. seized by OFO and USBP in fiscal year 2017.3 Approximately 

1,218 lbs. of illicit fentanyl have already been seized in fiscal year 2018.4 Fentanyl 

is the most frequently seized illicit synthetic opioid, but CBP has also encountered 

18 unique fentanyl analogues, and 9 unique synthetic opioids that are not from the 

fentanyl class.5

Illicit drug interdictions in the border environment is both challenging and complex. Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) continually adjust their operations to circumvent detection and interdiction by law enforcement, quickly taking advantage of technological and scientific 

advancements and improving fabrication and concealment techniques. 

International Mail and Express Consignment Couriers 

The smuggling of illicit narcotics in the international mail and express consignment courier (ECC) environments poses a significant threat. Dozens of different 

types of illicit synthetic drugs, also called ‘‘designer drugs,’’ are currently being sold 

and shipped to end-users in the United States, including synthetic opioids such as 

fentanyl and its analogues, synthetic cannabinoids,6 and synthetic cathinones.7 Illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues are the most frequently-seized synthetic 

opioids; although CBP seizures of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues remain relatively small compared to other opioids, such as heroin, the amounts seized have 

significantly increased over the past several years, from approximately 2 lbs. in fiscal year 2013 to approximately 544 lbs. in fiscal year 2016,8 and approximately 

1,476 lbs. in fiscal year 2017.9

17 

10 Heroin is also sometimes transported by couriers on commercial airlines. Heroin intercepted 

in the international commercial air travel environment is from South America, Southwest Asia, 

and Southeast Asia. 

Illicit narcotics can be purchased from sellers through on-line transactions and 

then shipped via the United States Postal Service (USPS) or ECCs. DTOs and individual purchasers move drugs such as illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues in 

small quantities, making detection and targeting a significant challenge. Follow-on 

investigations, which are conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

Homeland Security Investigations (ICE–HSI), are also challenging because these 

shippers are often not the hierarchically-structured DTOs we encounter in other environments. Purchasers can also access open source dark web marketplaces for the 

tools needed for the manufacturing of synthetic drugs. 

In the ECC environment, shipments are processed at 25 established facilities located throughout the United States. Prior to arrival of the express parcels, CBP reviews the manifest information transmitted by the ECC operators and targets those 

high-risk packages requiring examination. All parcels presented to CBP for examination are subjected to Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) to include X-ray and gamma 

ray imaging. CBP operates in all 25 facilities Nation-wide. 

CBP also operates within 9 International Mail Facilities (IMF), inspecting international mail arriving from more than 180 countries. Upon arrival in the United 

States, all international mail parcels are screened for radiological threats. International mail requested for inspection by CBP is then turned over to CBP by USPS. 

Subsequently, CBP X-rays international mail packages that it requests from the 

USPS for inspection, and physically examines those deemed to be high-risk. 

CBP has seen a nearly 50 percent increase in express consignment shipments 

over the past 5 years. In fiscal year 2013, CBP processed over 76 million express 

bills; in fiscal year 2017, CBP processed approximately 110 million bills. International mail shipments have increased an astonishing 200 percent over the past 

5 years. In fiscal year 2013, CBP and the USPS processed approximately 150 million international mail shipments. By fiscal year 2017, the number of international 

mail shipments had swelled to over 400 million shipments. 

Along the Southern Border 

DTOs seek to smuggle opioids, most notably heroin, across our Southwest Border 

and into the United States at and between our POEs,10 and Mexican manufacturers 

and traffickers continue to be major suppliers of heroin to the United States. The 

reach and influence of Mexican cartels, notably the Sinaloa, Gulf, and Jalisco New 

Generation Cartels, stretch across and beyond the Southwest Border, operating 

through loose business ties with smaller organizations in communities across the 

United States. The threat of these cartels is dynamic; rival organizations are constantly vying for control, and as U.S. and Mexican anti-drug efforts disrupt criminal 

networks, new groups arise and form new alliances. 

Along the Northern Border 

Reporting indicates that cocaine and methamphetamine move north into Canada 

after transiting the United States from Mexico, while smaller quantities of marijuana, and ecstasy flow south from Canada into the United States. While Northern 

Border POE seizures of methamphetamine and heroin are low, ICE investigative 

case reporting indicates that trafficking of these drugs are still responsible for significant social harm and public health and safety consequences at the individual 

and community levels in specific Northern Border communities such as Massena, 

New York. 

CBP RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES TO TARGET OPIOIDS

CBP, with the support of Congress, has made significant investments and improvements in our drug detection and interdiction technology and targeting capabilities. These resources, along with enhanced information sharing and partnerships, 

are critical components of CBP’s ability to identify and deter the entry of dangerous 

illicit drugs in all operational environments. 

Advance Information and Targeting 

An important element of CBP’s layered security strategy is obtaining advance information to help identify shipments that are potentially at a higher risk of containing contraband. Under section 343 of the Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107– 

210), as amended, and under the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act or 

SAFE Port Act of 2006, (Pub. L. No. 109–347), CBP has the legal authority to collect 

key cargo data elements provided by air, sea, and land commercial transport compaVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
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11 Under TSA requirements, international mail destined for the United States is treated similarly to other cargo and subject to security controls. These security controls, are applied to international mail prior to transporting on aircraft at last-point-of-departure locations to the United 

States. 49 U.S.C. 44901(a) states: ‘‘The Under Secretary of Transportation for Security shall provide for the screening of all passengers and property, including United States mail, cargo, carryon and checked baggage, and other articles, that will be carried aboard a passenger aircraft.’’ 

Under 49 C.F.R. 1540.5, ‘‘Cargo means property tendered for air transportation accounted for 

on an air waybill. All accompanied commercial courier consignments whether or not accounted 

for on an air waybill, are also classified as cargo. Aircraft operator security programs further 

define the term ‘cargo.’ ’’ These requirements are not dependent on advance electronic manifest 

data, as provided by ECC operators and other participants in the Air Cargo Advance Screening 

(ACAS) pilot program. 

nies (carriers), including ECCs and importers.11 This information is automatically 

fed into CBP’s Automated Targeting System (ATS), a secure intranet-based enforcement and decision support system that compares cargo and conveyance information 

against intelligence and other enforcement data. 

The National Targeting Center 

At CBP’s National Targeting Center (NTC), advance data and access to law enforcement and intelligence records converge to facilitate the targeting of travelers 

and items of cargo that pose the highest risk to our security in all modes of inbound 

transportation. The NTC takes in large amounts of data and uses sophisticated targeting tools and subject-matter expertise to analyze, assess, and segment risk at 

every stage in the cargo/shipment and travel life cycles. As the focal point of that 

strategy, the NTC leverages classified, law enforcement, commercial, and opensource information in unique, proactive ways to identify high-risk travelers and 

shipments at the earliest possible point prior to arrival in the United States. 

To bolster its targeting mission, the dedicated men and women of the NTC collaborate with critical partners on a daily basis including ICE–HSI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), members of the intelligence community, and the United States Postal Inspection Service 

(USPIS). Investigative case data is fused with CBP targeting information to bolster 

investigations targeting illicit narcotics smuggling and trafficking organizations. 

Moreover, NTC works in close coordination with several pertinent task forces including the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, the High Intensity 

Drug Trafficking Areas, and the Joint Interagency Task Force–West, as well as the 

Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Joint Task Forces (JTF). 

Advance Electronic Data 

In the postal environment, recent bi-lateral agreements regarding advance electronic data (AED) between USPS and foreign postal operators have increased CBP’s 

ability to target high-risk shipments. CBP and USPS now have an operational AED 

targeting program at five of our main IMFs with plans for further expansion. USPS 

is responsible for locating the shipments and delivering them to CBP for examination. Thus far in fiscal year 2018, CBP has interdicted 186 shipments of fentanyl 

and fentanyl analogues at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) IMF, 

a participant in the AED program. One hundred and twenty-five of those interdictions can be attributed to AED targeting. CBP and USPS continue to work with foreign postal operators to highlight the benefits of transmitting AED. 

CBP, in close coordination with USPS and FDA, provided technical assistance on 

the pending Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act to address 

these challenges in a multi-phase process, which emphasizes risk assessment, technology, and collaboration across the Federal Government and with our international 

partners. We support efforts to expand the ability of USPS to collect fees to help 

offset the additional cost associated with building the capacity of foreign postal operators to implement AED collection, to develop new scanning technology, and increase the availability of AED for international mail. 

Targeting Precursors 

Many of the precursor chemicals that can be used to synthesize synthetic opioids 

such as fentanyl are currently non-regulated and many have legitimate uses. However, CBP has sufficient authority to seize precursors if they can be identified as 

having illicit end-use intentions, including the production of illicit drugs. CBP targets precursor chemicals transiting the United States with destinations to Mexico 

and other countries. When these shipments are identified through interagency collaboration as having illicit end-use intentions, the shipments are offloaded for further inspection and enforcement action by external agencies such as the DEA and 

ICE–HSI. 

19 

In addition to targeting illicit substances directly, CBP also targets related equipment such as pill presses and tablet machines. DEA regulates pill press/tablet machines and there is an ICE Diversion Coordinator assigned to the DEA Special Operations Division (SOD) who oversees the investigations of pill press/tablet machine 

imports being diverted for illicit uses. The Diversion Coordinator works closely with 

the NTC to identify and target individuals importing and diverting pill press/tablet 

machines to produce fentanyl and other synthetic drugs. In fiscal year 2014, 24 seizures of pill presses and tablet machines were made by OFO. The number increased 

to 92 in fiscal year 2017. 

CBP RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES TO DETECT AND INTERDICT OPIOIDS

CBP, with the support of Congress, has made significant investments and improvements in our drug detection and interdiction technology and targeting capabilities. CBP officers utilize a variety of technologies and narcotics detection canines to 

detect and presumptively identify illicit drugs, including illicit opioids, at international mail and express consignment carrier facilities. 

Non-Intrusive Inspection Equipment 

At our POEs and in the international mail and express consignment environments, CBP utilizes technology, such as non-intrusive inspection (NII), X-ray, and 

gamma ray imaging systems to detect the illegal transit of synthetic drugs hidden 

on people, in cargo containers, and in other conveyances entering the United States. 

CBP currently has 304 large-scale NII systems and over 4,500 small-scale systems 

deployed to, and between, POEs. These systems enable CBP officers to examine 

cargo conveyances such as sea containers, commercial trucks, and rail cars, as well 

as privately-owned vehicles, ECC, and international mail parcels for the presence 

of contraband without physically opening or unloading them. This allows CBP to 

work smarter and faster in detecting contraband and other dangerous materials. Between October 1, 2003 and April 30, 2018, CBP conducted more than 87 million NII 

examinations, resulting in more than 20,000 narcotics seizures and more than $79.2 

million in currency seizures. 

Canines 

Canine operations are an invaluable component of CBP’s counternarcotic operations. The CBP Canine Training Program maintains the largest and most diverse 

law enforcement canine training program in the country. CBP officers utilize specially-trained canines for the interdiction of narcotics, firearms, and undeclared currency, as well as in support of specialized programs aimed at combating terrorism 

and countering human trafficking. OFO Concealed Human and Narcotic Detection 

Canines are trained to detect concealed humans and the odors of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, hashish, ecstasy, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues. 

The use of canines in the detection of narcotics is a team effort. CBP’s Laboratories and Scientific Services Directorate (LSSD) produces canine training aids and 

provides analytical support to the CBP Canine Training Program, including controlled substance purity determinations, training aid quality analyses, and research 

on delivery mechanisms that maximize safe vapor delivery during training exercises. Most recently, OFO’s National Canine Program, in coordination with LSSD, 

assessed the feasibility of safely and effectively adding fentanyl and fentanyl analogues as trained odors to deployed narcotic detection canine teams. On June 23, 

2017, the Office of Training and Development’s CBP Canine Training Program successfully completed its first Fentanyl Detection Pilot Course. This added the odors 

of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to six OFO canine handler teams in the international mail and ECC environments. Beginning October 1, 2018, all new OFO canine handler teams graduating from the CBP Canine Training Program will have 

successfully completed a comprehensive CBP Canine Detection Team Certification 

to include the odors of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Today, all OFO Concealed 

Human and Narcotic Detection canine teams across all of OFO’s operational environments have completed fentanyl training. 

During fiscal year 2017, OFO canine teams were responsible for $26,813,863 in 

seized property, $1,905,925 in fines, $36,675,546 in seized currency, $29,674,839 in 

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) actions, 197 firearms and 22,356 

rounds of ammunition, 79 concealed humans, and 384,251 lbs. of narcotics. In fiscal 

year 2018 to-date, OFO canine teams have been responsible for $7,322,522 seized 

property, $411,073 in fines, $7,951,376 in seized currency, $9,178,971 in FINCEN 

20 

12 Effective 4/24/18. 13Phase 1 Naloxone Pilot Program POEs include El Paso; Laredo; Fort Lauderdale International Airport; John K. Kennedy International Airport; San Luis: San Ysidro; and Seattle/ 

Blaine. 14Phase 2 Naloxone Pilot Program POEs include Miami Int’l/Miami Seaport; Boston; Buffalo; 

Detroit; Newark; Chicago; Houston Int’l/Houston Seaport; and Dallas. 

actions, 150 firearms, 5,418 rounds of ammunition, 105 concealed humans, and 

187,409 lbs. of narcotics.12

Laboratory Testing 

As the narcotics seized through the international mail and at ECC facilities usually have a very high purity, CBP officers at IMFs and ECC facilities use various 

field testing devices to rapidly screen suspected controlled substances and obtain 

presumptive results. Using CBP’s Laboratories and Scientific Services Directorate 

(LSSD) Field Triage Reachback Program, CBP officers can transmit sample data directly to LSSD for scientific interpretation and identification. When any synthetic 

opioids are detected by the reachback program, LSSD notifies key CBP personnel 

at the NTC, as well as our liaisons at the DEA. CBP is working to expand the field 

testing program, along with the scientific assets and personnel who are able to provide real-time chemical composition determinations. 

In 2016, CBP pilot tested four handheld tools and a new reagent test kit to provide immediate presumptive testing for fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Based on 

the results of the pilot, OFO procured 12 systems for further testing across San 

Diego, Tucson, El Paso, and Laredo Field Offices. Last year CBP purchased over 90 

handheld analyzers for deployment. Handheld analyzers improve officer safety, and 

provides a near real-time capability to increase narcotic interdiction. 

Workforce Protection 

CBP’s front-line operations, including drug interdiction activities, are extremely 

hands-on. The potential for contact with dangerous substances—especially illicit 

synthetic opioids—is a very real health and safety risk to law enforcement personnel 

and canines. For example, in its pure powder form, fentanyl is approximately 50– 

100 times more potent in its intensity, speed of action, and effect than morphine, 

and, at first glance, it is often mistaken for other drugs, which appear as white powders such as cocaine or heroin. Due to the risk of unintentional exposure and subsequent hazardous drug absorption and/or inhalation, the confirmatory testing for the 

presence of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and its analogues is best executed in 

a laboratory by trained scientists and technicians. 

Explicit instructions, including guidance to canine handlers, have been distributed 

to the field regarding the safe handling of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Additionally, in response to increased seizures at LPOEs and the upsurge in the use of 

heroin across the Nation, in October 2015 CBP completed Phase 1 of a pilot program to train and equip CBP officers with naloxone, a potentially life-saving drug 

for the treatment of opioid exposure. During Phase I, CBP officers at seven participating POEs 13 received training on recognizing the signs and symptoms of opioid 

exposure, administering naloxone, and were certified as CPR instructors. In February 2016, CBP initiated Phase II of the Naloxone Initiative Pilot Program, expanding the pilot to an additional eight POEs and deploying 602 dual-dose Narcan 

Nasal Spray® kits to the field.14 To date, OFO has deployed 1,119 two-dose boxes 

of naloxone to the field. Additional naloxone is being deployed to field offices upon 

request, as additional personnel are trained in its administration. The naloxone program has also expanded to LSSD to help protect its scientists in both its main and 

satellite laboratories. CBP was the first Federal law enforcement agency to implement such a program. 

INFORMATION SHARING AND OPERATIONAL COORDINATION

Substantive and timely horizontal and vertical information sharing is critical to 

targeting and interdicting illicit drugs. CBP works extensively with our Federal, 

State, local, Tribal, and international partners and provides critical capabilities toward the whole-of-Government approach to address drug trafficking and other 

transnational threats at POEs, in our IMFs and ECCs, and along the Southwest 

Border, Northern Border, and coastal approaches. Our targeting, detection, and 

interdiction efforts are enhanced through special joint operations and task forces 

conducted under the auspices of multi-agency enforcement teams. These teams are 

composed of representatives from international and Federal law enforcement agencies who work together with State, local, and Tribal agencies to target drug and 

21 

15https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/multi-agency-team-bags-heroin-marijuana-3-arrests-during-port. 

transnational criminal activity, including investigations involving National security 

and organized crime. 

For example, CBP officers assigned to the Area Port of Philadelphia work extensively with the Pennsylvania State Police and Delaware State Police. For example, 

CBP officers recently collaborated with the Pennsylvania State Police, Eddystone 

Police Department, DHS’s Border Enforcement Security Taskforce, and the Transportation Security Administration to conduct an operation at Penn Terminal. Container cargo, warehouses, and port grounds were scrutinized and several individuals 

were identified as being in possession of fraudulent identity documents. Previouslyremoved criminal aliens and a known gang member with an active warrant of arrest 

were also identified and taking into custody. 

The OFO Tactical Operations Division directs special enforcement operations, in 

concert with ICE–HSI and other law enforcement partners, to identify and disrupt 

drug smuggling at targeted POEs, IMFs, and ECC facilities. These operations involve NII technology, canine enforcement teams, Antiterrorism-Contraband Enforcement Teams, Special Response Teams, and other law enforcement partner resources. Baltimore Field Office CBP officers also provide support to the Delaware 

Valley Intelligence Center, Delaware Information and Analysis Center, and the 

Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center (PaCIC). The mission of PaCIC is to support the decision-making process of Pennsylvania’s law enforcement agencies 

through collating, analyzing, and disseminating intelligence and investigative information pertaining to criminal and terrorism activity. 

CBP hosts monthly briefings/teleconferences with Federal, State, and local partners regarding the current state of the border—the Northern Border and Southwest 

Border—to monitor emerging trends and threats and provide a cross-component, 

multi-agency venue for discussing trends and threats. The monthly briefings focus 

on drugs, weapons, and currency interdictions and alien apprehensions both at and 

between the POEs. These briefings/teleconferences currently include participants 

from: The government of Canada, the government of Mexico, DHS Headquarters, 

ICE, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), DEA, FBI, U.S. Northern Command, Joint Interagency Task Force–South, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives 

(ATF), U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Naval Investigative Command, State and Major 

Urban Area Fusion Centers, and other international, Federal, State, and local law 

enforcement as appropriate. 

CBP is a key partner in the implementation of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) Heroin Availability Reduction Plan (HARP). CBP also utilizes 

the Department of Justice’s Nation-wide Deconfliction System operated by the DEA, 

conducting interagency deconfliction and coordination, and is working with the Heroin and Fentanyl Working Group at the DEA Special Operations Division, alongside 

ICE–HSI. The Baltimore Field Office also contributes to the High-Intensity Drug 

Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), run by the United States Office of National 

Drug Control Policy, by sharing intelligence and contributing marine unit and other 

support to local joint operations. 

Collaboration with our partners yields results. For example, a CBP-led multiagency team seized fentanyl-laced heroin and marijuana, and arrested three during 

a compliance examination at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware on April 18, 2018. 

In addition to CBP, the multi-agency team consisted of ICE–HSI, U.S. Coast Guard, 

Transportation Security Administration, Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives 

(ATF), Delaware State Police, and Delaware National Guard Counterdrug Task 

Force. Authorities arrested a man near one warehouse who was in possession of a 

distributable amount of fentanyl-laced heroin, and discovered two additional men in 

possession of marijuana near another warehouse. While inspecting Transportation 

Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) cards of arriving port workers, authorities 

detected two men with outstanding Delaware arrest warrants. Delaware State Police troopers took custody of the two men.15

International Collaboration and Cooperation 

Because DTOs are also known to use legitimate commercial modes of travel and 

transport to smuggle drugs and other illicit goods, CBP partners with the private 

sector to provide anti-drug smuggling training to air, sea, and land commercial 

transport companies (carriers) to assist CBP with stopping the flow of illicit drugs; 

to deter smugglers from using commercial carriers to smuggle drugs; and to provide 

carriers with the incentive to improve their security and their drug smuggling 

awareness. Participating carriers sign agreements stating that the carrier will exercise the highest degree of care and diligence in securing their facilities and conveyVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
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ances, while CBP agrees to conduct site surveys, make recommendations, and provide training. 

The trafficking of opioids is a global problem, and CBP continues to work with 

our international partners to share information and leverage resources to combat 

this threat. CBP’s Office of International Affairs (INA) Technical Assistance Division (ITAD) conducts International Border Interdiction training, coordinated and 

funded by the Department of State, for various countries world-wide. These courses 

provide instruction on multiple aspects of border security, including targeting and 

risk management, interdiction, smuggling, search methodologies, analysis, canine 

enforcement, and narcotics detection identification. Within the last 6 months, INA/ 

ITAD has conducted anti-smuggling training in opiate source countries such as Panama, Guatemala, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Afghanistan, Kenya, Cambodia, and the Philippines. CBP also provides an Identification of Drugs and Precursor Chemical training course to Mexico and other drug 

source and transit countries to provide key insight to foreign Customs Officers on 

the vast resources of precursors available to narcotics producers and traffickers 

world-wide. 

Through the 21st Century Border Management Initiative, the U.S. Government 

and the government of Mexico are working to strengthen our collaborative relationship and efforts to secure and facilitate the cross-border flows of people and cargo. 

We receive information from Mexican authorities on a daily basis that helps us better target drug smugglers at the border and continue to work closely to expand joint 

efforts to combat illicit drug cultivation, production, and trafficking, and sharing 

more information on smuggling routes and networks. This information sharing, facilitated by the CBP attache ́ office in Mexico, has allowed for an unprecedented exchange of real-time information through deployments of personnel between our 

countries. Today, CBP personnel are assigned to Mexico City under the Joint Security Program where we exchange alerts on suspicious DTO movements through the 

monitoring of our Advance Passenger Information System. This information sharing 

has also led to numerous seizures and cases within Mexico that serve to disrupt the 

activities of DTOs throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

CONCLUSION

In coordination with our partners and with the support of Congress CBP will continue to refine and enhance the effectiveness of our detection and interdiction capabilities to prevent the entry of opioids and other illicit drugs into the United States. 

Chairman Perry, Ranking Member Correa, and distinguished Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I look forward to your 

questions. 

Mr. PERRY. Thank you, Director Durst. 

The Chair now recognizes Mr. Sunday for his testimony. 

STATEMENT OF DAVID W. SUNDAY, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, 

YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 

Mr. SUNDAY. I talk pretty loud. How is that? Chairman Perry, 

thank you so much for having me today. I look forward to not only 

providing some testimony, but also answering any questions you 

have. 

York County has approximately 434,000 people, citizens in York 

County. We have 22 municipal police departments. Every day they 

work with the Pennsylvania State Police, the DEA, the FBI, the 

ATF, the postal inspectors on occasion, and sometimes Secret Service and the IRS. I tell you that because everyone here knows how 

devastating this epidemic is, and what I want to talk about is how 

unbelievably destructive this is with regard to local law enforcement, and what we are dealing with on a county level. 

That being said, there was a statement—part of Mr. Miller’s testimony involving fentanyl, and in 2013, zero percent of the opioid 

deaths in York County involved fentanyl. However, now in 2018, 

that number is over 90 percent, and that is a very important statistic to know. I wanted to make sure that everybody is aware of 

23 

that, because that can’t be more telling. The reason that I am saying that it is telling is because with regard to the police and local 

law enforcement, we did as much as we could, and we are going 

to continue to do as much as we can. So in 2015, we started a Heroin Task Force. The purpose of the Heroin Task Force was to bring 

into the mix and into the—I will say the fight, everybody throughout our community. Because obviously, we have limited resources 

and so we have to do everything we can to attack it. Again, this 

was in 2015. We have on our Heroin Task Force medical doctors, 

we have treatment providers, we have parents who have lost their 

loved ones, we have police chiefs, we have EMTs, and we pretty 

much have anyone in the community who is willing to lend a helping hand. 

Because we have a total of about 8 police officers working in a 

pure—I will say narcotics law enforcement capacity in a county of 

434,000 people, we do have to find other ways to do everything in 

our power to stem the death. As a district attorney in York County, 

I get an email every time someone dies of a heroin overdose death. 

At this point, it is about every other day. What people need to understand is it is not just the felony drug crimes. It is not just the 

deaths. I will tell you that close to 80 percent of all the crime in 

York County—all the crime—is either directly or tangentially related to this epidemic and drug abuse, and that includes retail 

thefts, thefts, domestic violence, robberies, aggravated assaults, 

murders, DUIs—over half the DUIs in York County we know now 

are not just alcohol. Over half the DUIs are also either alcohol and 

drug, or just purely drug-related. That is critical to understand because we have a tremendous amount of accidents in York County 

that kill people. 

So oftentimes the focus is on the actual drug itself and the felony 

arrest that comes with it, which is obviously an absolutely critical 

component to the long-term solution. That being said, it is important to understand the wide-ranging devastating effects that go 

throughout the entire community, and one thing I want to state 

that is very important for everyone to understand is this is decimating our local resources. The opportunity costs of this epidemic 

will be devastating, and it will be destructive to our community for 

a generation to come. 

Our hospital in York County, the NICU, is full of babies that are 

born addicted to heroin. The Children, Youth, and Family Services 

are absolutely destroyed because they can’t keep up with the 

amount of calls they receive to go check on homes. We have children who are being raised by their grandparents because the—all 

the parents are in prison. York County Prison in particular is 

ahead of the curve with regard to working on our opioid collaborative, so they also are on our task force. What we are doing, in 

addition to doing everything possible with regard to law enforcement, we are doing everything we can to work with our Federal 

partners. We are also working every day with the Pennsylvania 

State Police as well, and I wanted to make sure that everybody understood that, that this epidemic, this all hands on deck could not 

be more accurate. We are working every single day with every single partner that will possibly lend a hand, and that is something 

we want to continue to do. 

24 

Along the same lines, we have gone into schools. We found a nonprofit that put together a curriculum to go discuss what heroin 

abuse means to junior high school students, and the York County 

District Attorney’s Office also has led the Commonwealth in prosecuting a case called—a charge called drug delivery resulting in 

death when someone deals drugs that causes someone to die. So we 

are working with our community on the community side of this, 

and we are also doing everything in our power with regard to law 

enforcement, and we look forward to continued collaboration. 

I look forward to your questions. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Sunday follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF DAVID W. SUNDAY

Chairman Perry, Ranking Member Correa, and distinguished Members of the 

committee: It is a privilege to appear before you today to discuss the threat posed 

to our community by the opioid epidemic and ways in which all levels of government 

have come together to fight it. 

OVERVIEW

York County is a Class III county which encompasses 911 square miles and has 

a population of 434,972 as of the 2010 census. While the county seat of York County, York City, is an urban center with a population of 43,859, our county is primarily a rural and agricultural locale. Halfway between Philadelphia and Baltimore, York County is easily accessible from any direction. Both Interstate 83 and 

Route 30 dissect York County and Interstate 81 skirts its western border. 

Like so much of our Nation, York County has suffered greatly from the opioid epidemic. This epidemic has been one of continual change. Heroin, once primarily accessible in York City, has now fully infiltrated our suburban and rural communities. 

This has been reflected in the great multitude of county-wide drug arrests and fatal 

overdoses. Unfortunately, because York is a smaller metropolitan area, heroin dealers are able to maximize their profits by selling to our county’s residents. For the 

inconvenience of transporting the drug to this market, dealers are able to double 

their profits. Two thousand dollars ($2,000) worth of heroin in Philadelphia can be 

sold in York County for $4,000 after it has been cut by local dealers. 

Fueled in part by the relative low cost, heroin use and overdoses have exploded 

over the past decade. In 2011, York County reported 47 fatal drug overdoses with 

13 being heroin-related. Within 3 years, these numbers spiked to 110 fatal drug 

overdoses with 62 being heroin-related. This horrific trend continued and during the 

year 2016, York County suffered 123 fatal drug overdoses with an astounding 116 

being heroin-related. Overall, between 2011 and 2016 the number of heroin-based 

drug overdoses increased nearly ten-fold. 

The rapid explosion of the heroin epidemic in our county has resulted in York 

being the 25th out of 67 Pennsylvania counties for drug-related overdose deaths per 

100,000 people. However, in raw numbers, York ranks 9th out of 67 Pennsylvania 

counties for drug-related overdose deaths. Since 2016, the York County District Attorney has received notification of 299 suspected overdose deaths from the York 

County Coroner. As of early April 2018, the District Attorney was already notified 

of 40 suspected overdose deaths since the start of the year. Sadly, this places York 

County on track to surpass the 167 suspected overdose death notifications received 

throughout 2017. Of the 391 deaths caused by drug overdoses in York County between 2015 and 2017, 279 have been caused by an opioid overdose. 

IMPACT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT

While drug overdoses and related deaths are horrific consequences of the opioid 

epidemic, they are not the only consequences. This crisis has generated a hefty caseload of secondary offenses which has greatly burdened the county’s criminal justice 

system. It is estimated that at least 80 percent of all crime in York County is either 

directly or tangentially related to drug abuse. 

York County has fought hard against the opioid epidemic, striving to be at the 

forefront of the battle. In 2014, recognizing that the evolving issue required major 

policy changes, the York County Coroner and York County District Attorney united 

to implement a more global and comprehensive response. Prior to 2014, fatal drug 

overdoses were rarely treated as crime scenes. Moreover, while toxicology reports 

25 

were completed, autopsies were not. These conditions presented difficulties in prosecuting drug-related deaths. 

York County now conducts an autopsy for every suspected heroin overdose. If paraphernalia is discovered at the scene or there are suspicious circumstances, the coroner will automatically request that an autopsy be conducted. Suspicious circumstances can include track marks, the decedent having wet clothing, evidence of 

the decedent being moved, the decedent being found slumped over in a seated position, or the decedent was recently clean from drug use. Ultimately, an autopsy is 

able to confirm an overdose death and rule out other possibilities. This greatly aides 

the county in establishing its evidentiary burden for prosecuting drug-related death 

crimes. 

As of May 2014, all 23 police jurisdictions in York County as well as the Pennsylvania State Police have transitioned to treating heroin-related overdoses as crime 

scenes. Furthermore, phones at the scene are collected to aide in the apprehension 

of the victim’s dealer. Additionally, the York County Coroner’s office is now able to 

provide suspected overdose death notifications to the York County’s District Attorney’s Office. This collaborative process has enabled York County to lead the State 

through the prosecution of 46 counts of Drug Delivery Resulting in Death (DDRD) 

since 2013. This effort has resulted in 4 guilty by jury trial, 4 pleas to DDRD, 1 

plea to criminal conspiracy of DDRD, 3 pleas for involuntary manslaughter, 5 pleas 

for felony drug offenses, 1 plea to a misdemeanor drug offense, 1 abatement because 

of Defendant’s death, and 27 remaining active cases. Overall, the County has 

achieved a 44 percent success rate in obtaining DDRD convictions where a disposition has been reached. 

That being said, this operational pace has begun to take its toll on the entire local 

government infrastructure and in particular our police, prosecutors, and first responders. Stated plainly: This epidemic is decimating our resources and the opportunity cost will be devastating to the health and safety of our community. 

Regardless, York County Law Enforcement prides itself on our ability to work together to achieve the common good. This ideal is real and it is the reason that we 

have had such positive results. At any given time, there are local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies seamlessly collaborating to achieve a given result. 

This concept is mission-critical and any other approach would be unacceptable. 

COMMUNITY EFFORTS

In addition to criminal justice initiatives, the York DA’s office and York Coroner’s 

office formed a community group of volunteers to further combat the heroin epidemic. In fact, York was the second county in PA to form a community-based Heroin 

Task Force. This task force has dedicated its time to increasing awareness in York 

County and educating our residents on the heroin crisis. By the spring of 2014 our 

task force began its educational outreach in the community’s schools and by August 

2014 the task force developed a community educational presentation. Since the education initiative began, our County has presented the educational program over 120 

times to church groups, fire/EMS personnel, 9–1–1 dispatchers, prison staff, school 

parents, students, township managers, police departments, colleges, church youth 

groups, and senior citizen groups. 

Over time, as numbers grew and we identified the need for specialization in 

unique areas, the York Heroin Task Force morphed into the York Opioid Collaborative (YOC). The YOC is led by an executive director and counts amongst its members: Law Enforcement, Treatment Providers, Educators, Clergy, Concerned Citizens, Medical Doctors and College Professors, to name a few. 

In addition to our aggressive prosecution of drug dealers and educational initiatives, York County has heavily utilized and dispensed the life-saving drug Narcan 

across the county. Similar to the use of AED’s, Narcan can now be found in many 

schools and workplaces. This has resulted in over 100 saves from April to December 

2015. Further, this number has spiked to 232 saves in 2016, which was one of the 

highest number of saves across all Pennsylvania counties. 

York has had tremendous success in making the battle against the heroin crisis 

a collaborative effort. Groups such as Not One More, I Will Recover, York Harm Reduction Project, and Byrnes Health Education Center have created a large unified 

front in York County. As the county moves forward, it would like to leverage this 

collaborative approach to continue to improve access to rehab and detox programs. 

Recently, the treatment center White Deer Run’s York location has increased its 

number of detox beds from 7 to 17, in addition to adding a second location. York 

County is also working to provide appropriate and timely access to Methadone 

maintenance treatment programs in the York/Adams area. This effort has led to 

26 

Pyramid increasing their program’s capacity from 175 people to 420 people, effectively alleviating waiting lists. 

Furthermore, York/Adams Health Choices Management unit, in conjunction with 

YADAC, opened a Methadone clinic last summer in Hanover through Pinnacle 

Health. YADAC has also implemented the Jail Project at York County Prison in 

order to ensure that individuals who meet intensive treatment recommendations receive expedited managed care enrollment and treatment access. Vivitrol is also 

being utilized in this program. The RASE project successfully implemented 

buprenorphine coordination and recovery support services in York and Adams County. Finally, the York/Adams County Drug and Alcohol Commission, in conjunction 

with York/Adams Health Choices Management Unit has opened a 16-bed male halfway house in York County in order to ensure client access to a critical level of care 

that was previously absent in the community. 

CLOSING

York County’s leaders, through necessity, work daily to increase the efficacy of the 

criminal justice system; provide drug education for its residents, and support the efforts of the York Opioid Collaborative. 

Accordingly, it is critical to understand that the aggressive prosecution of drug 

dealers is only one part of the overarching collaborative process. We must employ 

every weapon in our arsenal if we are to turn this crisis around. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you today. 

Mr. PERRY. Well thank you, Mr. DA. We appreciate your input. 

Now we will take the testimony from Mr. Singley. 

STATEMENT OF RAYMOND SINGLEY, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF 

RECORDS AND IDENTIFICATION, STATE POLICE DEPARTMENT, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Mr. SINGLEY. Good afternoon, Chairman Perry and Representative Thompson. Thank you for allowing the Pennsylvania State Police to participate in this field hearing and address the opioid epidemic that the Commonwealth is experiencing. Opioid abuse and 

addiction occurs in every cross-section of Pennsylvania. No one is 

immune. 

The PSP began in 1905, with just 228 officers. Today, PSP is the 

10th-largest police department in America, with an enlisted complement of over 4,700 sworn, and a civilian complement of about 

1,800. We are the primary police agency for over 60 percent of the 

Commonwealth’s 1,200 municipalities. We patrol 100 percent of the 

interstate highways and the turnpikes. We also oversee a variety 

of things, such as the State crime laboratories, the State radio system, Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission, liquor enforcement, and that is just to name a few. We provide specialized support to all law enforcement, such as the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center, or PaCIC, computer crime 

investigations, tactical teams, air supports, K–9, polygraphing, 

Amber alerts, and the list goes on and on. 

PSP is comprised of 16 different troops, and they provide police 

service to their respective areas of responsibility, and we have 12 

bureaus that support those troops and augment their capabilities. 

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation is just one example, and contains both the intelligence division and the drug law enforcement 

division, which I will refer to as DLED. There are approximately 

100 members that are assigned to the DLED, and focus solely on 

investigating and disrupting significant drug trafficking organizations. Efforts include both uniform and plainclothes interdictions, 

long-term undercover investigations, financial investigations, asset 

forfeitures, and clandestine laboratory responses. 

27 

While marijuana is an ever-present problem for us, and both cocaine and methamphetamine are on the rise, opioids remains our 

greatest concern. There has been a substantial increase in the 

availability of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances over the 

last few years. The entire Commonwealth has been affected, although as you pointed out, some portions of the State have been 

more impacted than others. The synthetic opioids are far more dangerous than other drugs, and PSP has had to respond to this increased hazard by procuring personal protective equipment for all 

of our members. We have also obtained though a Cops Anti-Heroin 

Task Force grant high-tech field drug testing devices, known as 

TruNarcs, and strategically deployed those 15 units across the 

Commonwealth to reduce exposure to these drugs. All members of 

the Pennsylvania State Police have also been trained with and 

carry the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone. 

We work closely with the Governor’s Unified Coordination Group, 

which is a group of over 15 State agencies that was developed 

through Pennsylvania’s Opioid Disaster Declaration in January of 

this year, and again renewed in April. Through the joint efforts, 

PSP has installed 15 prescription drug takeback boxes throughout 

the Commonwealth. Our PSP intelligence division was a leading 

developer of the Overdose Information Network, also known as 

ODIN, which is a database developed to collect data on fatal and 

non-fatal overdoses, naloxone administrations, identifiable markings on drug packaging, and so on. It provides real-time critical information to aid in drug investigations. 

PaCIC works with multiple Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies, and they are part of the Overdose Task Force that 

is comprised of law enforcement, medical professionals, coroners, 

and the Department of Health. PSP also works closely with Federal 

entities as well. Reactive in the Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA, the 

Northeast Counterdrug Training Center at Fort Indiantown Gap. 

We have full-time troopers with the FBI, DEA, and we have a 

great working relationship with HSI, Homeland Security. 

We have sent deputized troopers as far away as Alaska to go 

with them to work joint investigations. They are also mentoring us 

with the dark web, the crypto-currency investigations too. They 

provide a lot of training for us. We have 12 troopers that are—have 

Title 19 CFR training and can act under its authority. We have a 

good relationship with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and they 

are also a further liaison to help us with Federal resources. 

In conclusion, we believe the opioids and the synthetic drugs will 

continue to pose a threat for the foreseeable future, and any actions taken to assist in decreasing the volume or the attractiveness 

of these substances, as well as removing people from society who 

deal in this poison will help us in our efforts to protect all Pennsylvanians. Thank you for the opportunity to provide input, and I 

look forward to the questions. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Singley follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF RAYMOND SINGLEY

JUNE 19, 2018 

Good afternoon. Thank you for allowing the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) to 

participate in this field hearing to address the on-going opioid epidemic that the 

28 

Commonwealth is experiencing. Opioid abuse and addiction occurs in every crosssection of Pennsylvania; leaving no one unaffected or immune. The solution to this 

epidemic is complex and requires a multifaceted approach with community, Government, and law enforcement working together to educate and treat. 

The PSP began in 1905, with just 228 officers and was the first uniformed organization of its kind. Today, the PSP is the 10th largest police department in America, 

with an enlisted complement of 4,719 members (15 percent of all sworn officers in 

the Commonwealth) and a civilian compliment of 1,791. The PSP is a full-service 

Police Agency whose duties include uniform patrol, crash investigation, criminal investigation, and response to all types of incidents. 

The PSP is the primary police agency for 1,200 municipalities, or 62 percent of 

the Commonwealth. We patrol 100 percent of the interstate and Turnpike highways, 

85 percent of the Commonwealth’s land area, and 66 percent of the Commonwealth’s 

highways. Additionally, the PSP oversees the State Crime Laboratories, State-wide 

Radio System, Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission, the 

Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History, the Pennsylvania Instant Check System, 

Liquor Control Enforcement, and Megan’s Law to name just a few. Furthermore, the 

PSP provides specialized support to all law enforcement such as the PA Criminal 

Intelligence Center (PaCIC), drug law, computer crime, tactical teams, air support, 

K–9, polygraph, Amber Alerts, and Missing and Endangered Persons Advisories. 

The PSP is comprised of 16 troops that provide police service to their respective 

areas of responsibility and 12 bureaus that support those troops and augment their 

capabilities. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation is just one example and contains 

the Intelligence Division and the Drug Law Enforcement Division (DLED), which 

are germane to this hearing. 

Approximately 100 members are assigned to the DLED and focus solely on investigating and disrupting significant drug trafficking organizations. Efforts include 

both uniform and plain clothes interdictions, long-term undercover investigations, financial investigations, asset forfeitures, and clandestine laboratory response. When 

fully staffed, the DLED is comprised of members who perform Safe Highways Initiative through Effective Law Enforcement and Detection (SHIELD), clandestine laboratory response, undercover account administration, financial investigation, asset 

forfeiture, and interdiction and strike force functions. While those members are assigned to a particular function, they frequently assist other details within the DLED 

and Troops throughout the Commonwealth. The DLED takes full advantage of cutting-edge training, advanced surveillance and tracking tools, wiretaps, and grand juries. 

While marijuana is an ever-present problem, and both cocaine and methamphetamine use is on the rise, opioids remain our greatest concern. There has been a substantial increase in the availability of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances 

(FRS) over the last few years. Across the Commonwealth, forensic crime laboratories 

are reporting a major increase in fentanyl in drug samples submitted for analysis 

this year. Results from drug chemistry analysis that were conducted by State, local, 

and Federal forensic laboratories reported an approximate 65 percent increase in 

fentanyl or fentanyl derivatives. In 2017, the PSP, comprising only 15 percent of the 

Commonwealth’s law enforcement, seized nearly 70 kilograms of heroin, over 65 

kilograms of fentanyl/FRS, and made over 12,500 drug-related arrests (misdemeanor 

and felony combined). 

The entire Commonwealth has been affected; some portions of the State more so 

than others. This scourge has affected areas beyond our boundaries as well, including most of the Appalachia area and many of the New England States. 

These synthetic opioids are far more dangerous than other drugs. Fentanyl is 50 

times more potent than heroin and carfentanil is estimated to be 10,000 times more 

potent. The manner in which these drugs can enter the body is of special concern 

to law enforcement and first responders. Beyond traditional ingestion and intravenous induction, it can be inhaled and absorbed dermally as well. That makes accidental exposure a real danger to narcotics officers, canines, first responders, and the 

public in general who may inadvertently encounter the substances. The PSP has responded to this officer safety issue by changing the way drugs are handled and by 

procuring personal protective equipment. We have also obtained high-tech drug field 

testing devices known as ‘‘TruNarc’’ and strategically deployed the units across the 

Commonwealth to reduce the likelihood of accidental exposure to these drugs by law 

enforcement officers. 

The PSP Clandestine Laboratory Response Team (CLRT) has also seen a remarkable spike in fentanyl-related lab call outs. These responses range from decontaminating police officers who were exposed to suspected fentanyl, through actual 

fentanyl labs producing counterfeit pills. The CLRT responded to one such case in 

29 

2015 and one case in 2016. In 2017, they were activated on ten occasions; 7 related 

to fentanyl and 3 for carfentanil. 

All members have been trained and have carried the opioid overdose reversal drug 

naloxone since April 2015. All marked Patrol Units are outfitted with naloxone 

(1,105 marked cars in fleet), and all members assigned to drug work are individually issued kits. Thus far in 2018, we have deployed naloxone 56 times resulting 

in 9 lives lost and 47 lives being saved. This is a marked increase with year over 

year comparisons in 2017. 

Fentanyl is also being turned into counterfeit pharmaceutical pills and sold to unwitting users. This is of special concern since Pennsylvania passed legislative measure Act 191, the Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions Program 

(ABC–MAP) in October 2014. This Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) 

captures Schedule II–V prescribed substances, is searchable by prescribers and 

pharmacies, and requires prescribers to check the PDMP the first time they prescribe an opioid or if they suspect a patient is suffering from an opioid addiction. 

While this is a significant step in the right direction in our battle against opioid 

addiction, an unintended consequence is that ‘‘pill shoppers’’ now must obtain their 

pills in a more underground manner. It makes this group of addicted people especially vulnerable to counterfeit fentanyl pills. 

Fentanyl can cause a much higher rate of overdose than heroin due to its potency; 

despite its lower usage rates. Drug overdoses resulting in death have been well publicized. In 2015, the State recorded 3,383 drug overdose deaths, that jumped to 

4,642 drug-related overdose deaths in 2016 (a 37 percent increase), and in 2017, 

there were more than 5,000 deaths (data analysis is continuing). This number would 

make Pennsylvania the fourth-highest ranked State in overdose deaths. 

We realize that combatting drugs requires the efforts of many and work closely 

with the Governor’s Office Unified Coordination Group (approximately 15 State 

agencies) that was developed through Pennsylvania’s Opioid Disaster Declaration in 

January of this year. Through joint effort, 65 prescription drug drop boxes were installed at stations throughout the Commonwealth. This provides the public with access to the boxes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year; to properly dispose 

of legally prescribed medication. Thus far in 2018, over a half ton (1,147 lbs.) were 

collected. The PSP Intelligence Division was the leading developer of the Overdose 

Information Network (ODIN), which is a database developed to collect data on fatal 

and non-fatal overdoses, naloxone administrations, and identifiable markings on 

drug packaging that is available to all law enforcement agencies and Emergency 

9–1–1 Centers throughout the Commonwealth. The database provides law enforcement with real-time critical information needed from an enforcement perspective to 

aid in drug investigations. It also provides leadership in law enforcement, Government officials, community leaders, and policy makers reliable information in order 

to make informed decisions when combating drug issues that could compromise public safety and health. While some of the information is law enforcement-sensitive, 

it does provide some critical information to the Department of Health, county coroner, and other social service entities to assist them in fighting this epidemic as 

well. 

PaCIC works with multiple Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies on 

many levels of narcotics related investigations to include biographical workups, case 

assistance with charting, mapping, toll analysis, etc. PaCIC, Drug Analysis Unit 

(DAU) is part of the Overdose Task Force that is comprised of law enforcement, 

medical professionals, coroners, PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs 

(DDAP), the Department of Health, etc. 

PaCIC, DAU provides presentations on drug trends to law enforcement and private-sector agencies. The unit has created pamphlets/brochures on the dangers of 

one-pot methamphetamine labs and drug identification awareness for law enforcement and private-sector agencies. PaCIC, Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources 

Unit disseminates the Monthly Drug Overdose and Identifiable Marking Analysis 

Report to public and private-sector partners to share information regarding lethal 

drugs contributing to fatal and non-fatal overdoses in their counties. Federal, State, 

and local law enforcement agencies provide data to be included in the report in addition to the mandatory reporting by the PA State Police. 

PaCIC, DAU members are on the staff for Top Gun and SHIELD Programs. The 

details of the Top Gun Training were provided by Captain Raymond S. Singley. Associated to our Fusion Center, the DAU has a full-time analyst assigned by the PA 

National Guard/Counter Drug Program. Also associated to the Fusion Center are 

the DEA, FBI, ATF, DHS, State DOC, PA Office of Attorney General, and Harrisburg Bureau of Police, all who have a liaison assigned to PaCIC and have requested 

drug-related information or case assistance from PaCIC. 

30 

PaCIC has an Intelligence Liaison Officer program which consists of approximately 450 law enforcement partners that provide and receive information from 

PaCIC for investigations to include narcotics related investigations. 

The PSP works closely with Federal entities as well, with the Commissioner serving on the Executive Board of the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, by providing guidance in budget and finance matters, overseeing internal initiative reviews, formulation of policies and procedures, and development of 

the intelligence program. Similarly, we are engaged with Northeast Counterdrug 

Training Center at Fort Indiantown Gap. The board of directors is comprised of 

military and senior law enforcement officials within the region. 

Through the board and partnerships with anti-drug organizations, associations, 

community coalitions, and emergency responders, training gaps are identified, curriculum is developed, and exceptional training made more accessible to reduce the 

availability and use of illicit drugs. An example of this is the highly touted ‘‘Top 

Gun’’ school which provides drug investigation/prosecution training to students 

made up of municipal officers, Troopers, and prosecutors. 

The PSP works closely with Federal law enforcement too. It is essential that we 

pool our knowledge across the agencies, engage in intelligence and resource sharing, 

and collaborate. Doing so provides seamless transitions of investigations to prosecutions, whether at the State or Federal level. To that end, the PSP dedicates six 

troopers full-time to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and five troopers fulltime to the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Forces. We maintain great 

working relationships with Homeland Security Investigations and have sent deputized troopers as far as Alaska to conduct joint investigations with them. As ‘‘dark 

web’’ and ‘‘crypto currency’’ investigations developed, they provided specialized 

training and equipment to specific troopers and continue to mentor them. Earlier 

this year HSI traveled to our training academy and provided several days of crucial 

training on these areas to many investigators and their command staff. The U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection works closely with the PSP as well. Twelve troopers 

have received Title 19 Code of Federal Regulation training and can act under its 

authority. They too provide support to us and liaison for further Federal resources. 

In conclusion, we believe opioids and these synthetic drugs will continue to pose 

a threat for the foreseeable future. Production levels appear to be consistent, new 

forms of fentanyl are emerging, and the distribution is becoming more diverse with 

the ‘‘dark web’’ market places and cryptocurrencies. Significant resources are being 

expended to combat the havoc that the abuse of these drugs has wreaked upon 

Pennsylvania. Any actions taken to assist in decreasing the volume and 

attractiveness of these substances, as well as remove people from society who deal 

this poison will help us in our efforts to protect all Pennsylvanians. Thank you for 

the opportunity to provide input on this very important matter. 

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Singley, I—and all the witnesses, we thank you 

for your time and your testimony. We will—each of us will spend 

5 minutes, we will ask questions, and we will volley back and forth 

since it is G.T. and I, and we have time constraints so we probably 

won’t get all our questions answered. We are going to do a pretty 

good—try and do a pretty good job here of getting as much as we 

can in. There is so much to talk about, right? 

I am going to start with Special Agent Miller. In your testimony, 

you cite China and Mexico as the main producers and transit hubs 

for synthetic opioids. One of the things we dealt with in Washington is when we target one synthetic opioid, they just change the 

formula a little bit and then that is not illegal because it is something new, right? That is a challenge for us, keeping in our—you 

know, maintaining our rights but also getting after the people that 

produce this stuff and use it and sell it. 

Just out of curiosity, to what extent are synthetic opioids entering the United States via the Northern Border with Canada? Do 

we—do you have any indicators or can you inform us at all about 

that? Because I think our perceptions are most of them either come 

in international mail or across the Southern Border. 

Mr. MILLER. For the most part, we have our Border Enforcement 

Security Task Force teams that are up there that are actually colloVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
31 

cated and working well with our State and local departments, and 

also with our foreign partners. In specifics about amounts coming 

across, I can’t get into the specific amount but I would venture to 

say that small amounts would be coming across. 

Mr. PERRY. But you would characterize it at this point as small 

amounts? 

Mr. MILLER. Yes. 

Mr. PERRY. I mean, where is the nut of the issue, Mr. Miller? Do 

you think—is it the Southern Border and—— 

Mr. MILLER. It is the Southern Border. 

Mr. PERRY. It is the Southern Border. 

Mr. MILLER. That is what is really damaging areas. There’s the 

boats coming in from Mexico, and then the amounts coming in in 

small doses but high potency coming in through the mail that’s 

from China. That is what is really getting us. 

Mr. PERRY. Are there any countries that you expect to become 

major producers in the next 5 years, other than the countries already enumerated? Do you see a trend? Are we going to start producing it locally? Do you see that trend at all, or—— 

Mr. MILLER. Right now, I’m sorry, I don’t see that. 

Mr. PERRY. OK, that is great. 

How does HSI coordinate with State and local law enforcement 

to conduct secure deliveries of packages that contain opioids? I 

don’t want you to give any intelligence away, but you know, what 

factors such as prosecutorial constraints may impact a Federal, 

State, or local law enforcement agency from participating in a secure delivery? I ask that because people like G.T. and I, we want 

to enable you to be able to do as much as you can. If there is some 

hindrance regarding you and our DA, State Police, et cetera, we 

want to know what that is so we can try and help solve the problem. 

Mr. MILLER. So, so far I can kind-of give you the rundown from 

seizure from JFK International Airport, the international mail facility, you know. CBP will make a seizure, will work with our HSI 

office in JFK. JFK will alert us to say there is a package destined 

for Pennsylvania, for some part of Pennsylvania. We will most likely go meet them halfway so we can have a hand-off of the package 

itself, and at that point we would hook up with PSP and have it 

analyzed or have their crime guys take a look at it as well. But we 

find that having PSP working with us is easier for State prosecution, and if it develops into anything more, we will go Federally. 

Mr. PERRY. Thank you. Let me see here. I think this will be for 

Ms. Durst. 

CBP reports that in 2013 it seized approximately 2 pounds of illicit fentanyl. This is in 2013. So far this year, you folks have 

seized approximately 1,218 pounds. Can you just let us know from 

your perspective what you think is driving—I mean, that is a remarkable increase. What is driving that? 

Ms. DURST. So first of all, we are able to do presumptive testing 

now at our international mail facilities and at the express consignment facilities. 

Mr. PERRY. So can you explain presumptive testing so we all 

know? 

32 

Ms. DURST. Yes, sir. Presumptive testing means that right there 

on-site in our facilities, we are able to make a determination as to 

what the item that we have encountered is. 

As you have heard from SAC Miller, we are receiving at the 

international mail facilities small quantities of illicit fentanyl and 

fentanyl analogs. You know, they obviously don’t come with a tag 

on them, and when we have technology that has been supported by 

the Congress to right there in our facility make an immediate determination as to what that item is, and then pass that onto Homeland Security Investigations, that is something that didn’t exist in 

2013. So with the onset of the interdict DAC we were able to obtain 

these presumptive testing mechanisms, that assists us at the ports 

of entry. 

Mr. PERRY. I don’t want to put any words in your mouth, but I 

am just trying to make sure I understand and make sure everybody in the hearing understands. I get the perception that the timing of these things is as important as anything else in pursuing 

who the perpetrators are and where it is going, and so on. So that 

is a tool that you almost have to have or it would slow you down 

to the point where they would get it somewhere else. They would 

be suspect because it didn’t show up or whatever. That is a tool 

that has probably—and like I said, I don’t want to put words in 

your mouth, but I want you to characterize maybe if you could 

how—if that is important and how important it is. 

Ms. DURST. It is absolutely critical to have the presumptive testing devices on-site at our ports of entry. Really, it does get down 

into the timing. The transnational criminal organizations know 

how they have shipped their goods and they know where they are 

going and approximately when they are going to arrive. If we can 

intercept and then presumptively test and then turn the item over 

to our law enforcement partners in HSI to then move forward with 

either controlled delivery and then ultimately possible prosecution, 

it really does bode well, I think, for the entire governmental community and the American people. 

Mr. PERRY. Excellent, thank you. 

G.T. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Chairman, thank you, and thank you 

for—each of you for your service and for making such a difference 

on, you know, keeping us safe. Safety and security and really trying to address this public health crisis that we have—District Attorney Sunday, thank you. Thank you for your service. You are in 

the trenches, you and your colleagues, our district attorneys in 

Pennsylvania are on the front lines, and you are surrounded by 

great people and great resources to draw upon. I had an opportunity to speak about one of your colleagues out in Armstrong 

County and I know, you know, the district attorneys really can 

make a difference in terms of your focus and your commitment. I 

want to thank you for what you do for York County. 

This morning, we did—as the Chairman said, we had an opportunity to go out to, you know, PaCIC and what a great opportunity 

that was to learn about what our Pennsylvania State Police are 

doing. Helping them to be effective and helping to be a resource, 

and such collaboration. 

33 

So my question is how does your—the York County DA’s office, 

your office benefit from working with the Pennsylvania Criminal 

Intelligence Center, and what type of information does PaCIC have 

that your office would not have access to without that partnership? 

Mr. SUNDAY. OK. Thank you, sir. There are two points I want 

to make in answering that question. The first one is local DA’s office—county DA’s offices more now than ever have become reliant 

upon expert areas within their own county versus where years ago 

there would be certain experts, for example, at the Pennsylvania 

State Police, and that is because of the overwhelming and changing 

environment with regard to crime. So what I mean by that is 

PaCIC is a tool that our drug task force uses every single day, literally every single day. One of the things that has allowed us to 

leverage that asset very successfully has been I entered into a 

Memorandum of Understanding with the Pennsylvania State Police 

that allowed a county intel analyst to be trained by PaCIC and to 

work at PaCIC 1 or 2 days a week. So that gave us the ability to 

have someone who knows everybody in York County, knows all the 

police departments in York County, is familiar and works with our 

drug task forces that physically 1 or 2 days a week is actually located in the PaCIC office. He sits beside—you know, I have to be 

careful. He sits beside the other people that work up there as well, 

and they share information on a daily basis. He has the proper 

clearances, and so that actually speeds up the flow of information 

to us. 

PaCIC provides a lot of different types of information. For us on 

the ground level, on the day-to-day fight, the information that is 

most helpful from PaCIC is the assistance in identifying individuals, identifying vehicles, who may be driving a certain vehicle, 

who someone’s associates might be, and that type of information is 

absolutely critical to successful drug prosecutions on the street 

level. That is something, again, that is used every single day, every 

day. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Thank you for what you do, and all your 

colleagues and district attorneys across—Major Singley, thank you 

for your service. Congratulations on your recent promotion. 

You know, we know we are talking about data and data is essential for combatting the opioid epidemic as it can identify the trends 

and allow resources to be deployed most effectively, especially with 

this real-time data, it seems to me as things change, you know, 

back before where we are at today with ODIN, I mean, there was 

a delay and a delay unfortunately that really impacted effectiveness. 

So what efforts are the Pennsylvania State Police taking to harness opioid-related data, and how does the use of this data impact 

the Pennsylvania State Police resources? 

Mr. SINGLEY. Well the ODIN network itself, sir, is basically taking a paper system and making it electronic. So what was unusable 

data in the past becomes now usable. It helps us understand, I 

hate to say, what a bad batch of fentanyl or bad batch would come 

through, and you start having numerous overdoses. That is going 

to show up through ODIN, and then our partnerships, we can notify EMS, maybe start—maybe even put out a message saying that 

34 

we have a bad batch of drugs out there, that if hopefully people 

wouldn’t take it. 

It helps us—we can pull resources from—fairly quickly, so if we 

need to pull them off certain investigations and put them on others, it helps us. If we see long-term trends, again, working with our 

Federal partners we can pass along that information and hopefully 

maybe shut down the drugs that are actually coming into the country or from certain areas of the country. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Very good. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. PERRY. So just continuing on with the conversation, I hate 

to, you know, have an informal conversation here. As much as I 

hate to bring it up, it is just something that occurred to me. Maybe 

we ought to discuss the impact, especially for local folks, Pennsylvania State Police I consider some local as you listed the statistics 

of how much you cover Pennsylvania and DA Sunday, you know, 

you are working in a county, just like G.T. said, in the trenches. 

How has this impacted budgets, your budget? We have been in 

the war on drugs for a long time, so this is not a drug that—at 

least for heroin, it has been around for a long time, but of course 

the spike in usage is different. But fentanyl is new. Is there—has 

this made it markedly different and has it strained your budgets, 

particularly because of the opioid portion of the epidemic? Have 

you had to do things differently than you have in the past that 

come down to cost at some point? 

Mr. SUNDAY. I mean, I can speak—and I am going to tailor this 

answer specifically to the district attorney’s office versus other 

county entities. What I can tell you is this epidemic has put us in 

a position where, first of all, we do not have the resources to do 

this the right way. Because of that, there is an opportunity cost to 

many, many other types of crimes and other programs that are not 

getting the attention they should receive. I am not saying that because people aren’t doing their jobs. It has nothing to do with that. 

I spoke with the detective today on my way up here and I said 

one last thing. What do you want me to tell the Congressman if 

he asks me, and he said tell him every day we are trying to drink 

water out of a fire hose. This is from a 30-year law enforcement 

veteran who knows multiple people on this panel, and he said 

every day I am drinking water out of a fire hose. 

So specifically what that means is in my office, we have had to— 

I created a grant writing position, which just came into effect like 

4 months ago. So we are trying to find every grant humanly possible because what people need to understand is in the Commonwealth and in York County—so we have 22 municipal police departments. Okay I apologize if I am talking very fast, but I am 

staring at the clock ticking, so—— 

Mr. PERRY. It is all good. 

Mr. SUNDAY. So we have 22 municipal police departments, and 

those police departments are primarily driven by answering 

9–1–1 calls, OK, and so what that means is they—it is very difficult for smaller police departments to dedicate one person solely 

to investigating drug crime. So, the way we are able to do that is 

leveraging our relationships with other people, and that affects our 

budget because with the DA’s office has to take people and make 

35 

them special county detectives and give them the ability to have 

that—to have the entire jurisdiction—— 

Mr. PERRY. Relationship. 

Mr. SUNDAY [continuing]. Of York County. So that is very stressing to us. There is next to no money in the county budget for it. 

We pay for a portion of it through the proceeds of drug seizures, 

and we don’t have people that are—they are basically borrowed by 

the DA’s office to do this type of work for a time period, and then 

they go back to their department. 

OK, and so that being said, we need full-time drug investigators. 

We don’t have it. The crime drug delivery resulting in death that 

we now prosecute, the only way that we were able to prosecute 

that, about 4 years ago what we did was we started to autopsy—— 

Mr. PERRY. Every single one. 

Mr. SUNDAY [continuing]. Every potential drug or opioid-related 

overdose death. That is a tremendous financial impact on the county budget, on the coroner’s budget. In addition to that, in York 

County as of 2015, we started treating every single drug overdose 

scene as a crime scene, like we would any other homicide case. So 

because of that, we are asking so much more from law enforcement 

officers and that is time that they are not spending on other things. 

That is overtime that has to be paid. That is the cost of prosecution 

that comes with this. Right now we have over 125 pending investigations for drug delivery resulting in death cases, which is very 

difficult and it is very overwhelming. 

So that being said, you know, our budgets are completely blasted 

by this, and it is going to cause problems for years and years, if 

not decades, to come. 

Mr. PERRY. Well that is not encouraging, but we came to get the 

information, right, so that is what we are doing here. So I appreciate your candor. 

Mr. Miller, this—and anybody can chime in here, but—and we 

can continue the conversation because this is, I think, going to require more than the time available. But would you talk about the 

dark web and how that plays into this, and kind-of how maybe people that aren’t involved in the drug culture, like can they recognize 

anything? You think there are plenty of parents out there who 

their kids get involved and they might not know they are getting 

involved. Are there signs they could see, or you know, are there 

things to point to to be aware of? What can you tell us about the 

dark web and how it is included—well, my time is up, but if you 

keep that—— 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. You are the Chairman. 

Mr. PERRY. He will—G.T. will indulge me, so if you—yes. 

Mr. MILLER. So we do our best to give out information to kindof educate the public about internet, dark web, as well as the 

crimes that exist on there. Like around this time when kids are out 

of school, we kind of put out a PSA or talk to the media about getting a message out to the parents about, you know, your kids are 

out of school, you know, be kind-of aware of what they are doing 

on the internet and who they are talking to or chatting with. So 

that is one aspect. 

But with regard to the dark net, I mean, from our agency perspective, you know, we are tracking the packages that are coming 

36 

in from JFK, the international mail facilities, and 95 percent of 

what we receive in the Pennsylvania area is coming out of China 

and out of JFK. So we get the package, we work the case, and the 

delivery to the suspect, we are able to, you know, get them in their 

confidence and have them work with us as far as, OK, you are 

going to help yourself and help law enforcement, kind-of tell us, 

OK, how did you acquire this? That is kind-of the key to figuring 

out where the other—the specific vendors are on the dark net is 

talking to the suspects that we arrest. 

Mr. PERRY. How do you even know—like I got to be truthful. I 

don’t know—I don’t even know how to get to the dark net. How 

does something—does it look different? Is the address—how do— 

how will parents know? How can you know? 

Mr. MILLER. That is the thing. I am not as technically savvy, but 

I know that there is a program you use, a TOR—that you use to 

get into the dark net, and it is not query-able like Google, so you 

specifically have to know how to navigate that. You know, kids 

these days are really very resilient, and they’ve really got a lot of 

knowledge. 

I know from my knowledge that I have given a lot of talks to 

schools at career day, and just throw it out to the kids, you know, 

high school, do you know about the dark net, and a small percentage raise their hand. I say well tell me a little bit more about the 

dark net, and they talk about ‘‘yeah you go through TOR, you 

know—URLs to kind-of get to where you need to go. You can buy 

anything on there.’’ I’m like, ‘‘Wow.’’ So I mean it’s, you know, the 

kids these days know. They are pretty smart, but definitely it is 

a totally different way to get into it. It is not just dialing up and 

going into Google. I mean, you have to have a specific program to 

get into that. 

Mr. PERRY. Anybody else familiar? 

All right. It seems like something probably Congress needs to become more informed on from a policy standpoint, but I yield to G.T. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you. 

Well Director Durst, I wanted to—I mean, exactly how does the 

Baltimore Field Office coordinate with the Pennsylvania Criminal 

Intelligence Infusion—Fusion Centers? 

Ms. DURST. So we have a DHS representative that is embedded 

within the Fusion Center here in Pennsylvania, and we work with 

that individual. That person prepares intelligence reports and bulletins and coordinates across really the full scope of Federal, State, 

and local law enforcement entities here within Pennsylvania. That 

individual really is a DHS direct link into the State law enforcement intelligence community, and with that comes reciprocity. 

That means that the State and all of the State’s resources have at 

their fingertips the Federal resources. 

So we share information. We collaborate, you know, when there 

are intel alerts and bulletins, they are distributed at the Federal 

level and/or the State level. It really is information sharing. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Yes, it seems like—my impression, it has 

been amazing where one of the criticisms we had on 9/11 was sortof the silos that we—everybody operated in. I mean, we had great 

qualified people with good information, but there were these silos. 

There was—the collaboration was limited, I guess, at best. But 

37 

today, I mean, just today the picture that you all are painting is 

one of really effective collaboration. I am impressed the DA’s office 

has somebody embedded for a couple days a week here at PaCIC 

and just seems that that is incredible. We have learned our lessons 

maybe the hard way that it is incredibly important strategy for effectiveness when it comes to law enforcement across the board, 

sharing resources, collaborating, sharing information, and you have 

all painted a pretty impressive picture of that. 

I have got your testimony, and it is timely. You mentioned our 

K–9 friends that we employ, our K–9 officers, I consider them. We 

just lost a K–9 officer up in Warren County to just a really sad 

training incident, and he was laid to rest with honors recently. You 

had made mention of the measures that are taken, because these 

dogs are being exposed to—as they perform their duties—they use 

that all powerful nose to be able to sniff out things. But if you had 

made reference that you—you know, part of your procedures is to 

have resources to be able to protect these K–9s and keep them 

well? 

Ms. DURST. Yes, sir. So all of our K–9 handlers carry naloxone, 

and they have an injectable version of naloxone so that if our K– 

9s do encounter fentanyl or fentanyl analog, we are able to provide 

that immediate care to our K–9. 

You know, we have been carrying naloxone. All of our K–9 handlers have been carrying that for over 20 years. It really is something that we are very concerned about. Those are our partners, 

and they work side-by-side us to help secure our country. You 

know, the K–9 teams and the carriage of the naloxone really is critical, but I also want to point out that in the international mail environment, one of the things that goes to the safety of the K–9s is 

the manner in which the fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and opioids in 

general are packaged. As we discussed earlier, coming through the 

international mail facilities, the narcotics are tightly concealed in 

an effort to evade detection. So that also bodes well for our K–9s. 

So what they are smelling is a residual odor and not actually getting into the substance. Our K–9s are also trained to passively 

alert, meaning that they don’t tear into the goods. They will sit 

down and passively alert, which is certainly something that bodes 

well for their health and well-being. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Absolutely. Special Agent Miller, speaking of ports of entry, I guess, I wanted to just ask briefly about how 

the Homeland Security Investigations agents are working at the 

Border Enforcement Security Task Force are best at the Philadelphia International Airport, and how do you coordinate with State 

and local law enforcement agencies to investigate opioid smuggling? 

Mr. MILLER. So we have actually two Border Enforcement Security Task Forces, one at the airport and one at the seaport, and our 

primary partner is CBP. We can’t really get our job done without 

Customs and Border Protection. They know the seaport, they know 

the airport, the international area, and so it would take a holistic 

look at who are the players in the area. Philly PD is basically the 

security of the airport, and also with TSA and even the surrounding local townships in that area. So we are not only looking 

at what is going on at the airport, but also we are looking at surVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
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rounding townships, and even the hotels, because sometimes drug 

dealers or narcotics smugglers are utilizing the local hotels to bring 

in and drop off loads or exchange money, so we have, you know, 

connections with the hotels as well. So that is working with the hotels, the airport, and in collaboration with the State and local as 

well, and again, the seaport and the airport are primary partners 

and CBP. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Thank you. Thanks, Chairman. 

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Singley, you mentioned something I hadn’t really 

thought about, but by—procure, what have you, additional protective—personal protective equipment for your officers who are dealing with it, because—and you know, it was kind-of new to me, but 

a person that comes into contact with fentanyl can become immediately incapacitated, I guess. That is my understanding, right? So 

I am just wondering in that vein, you know, because fentanyl is put 

into so much of the heroin, and not only is the user not aware of 

it, but maybe people around the user are not aware of it. Are, for 

lack of a better phrase, civilians or other people who just aren’t involved in the drug situation and the using situation, are they at 

jeopardy, are they at risk? Is there anything being done to inform 

them of, you got to be—if you touch this stuff, you could be in the 

same problem as your loved one or the person that you know? 

Mr. SINGLEY. Yes, it is not quite immediate. 

Mr. PERRY. OK. 

Mr. SINGLEY. It wouldn’t be, if you touch it, you drop. It would, 

through transdermal, it may take 15, 20 minutes to start feeling 

the effects. If you know you have it on yourself, you certainly could 

wash it off as a person, but I don’t believe the situation you are 

describing the person is going to know, so if they have a loved one 

who is using and they come in contact with it, certainly it could 

impact them. 

We are doing everything we can to educate—— 

Mr. PERRY. Sure. 

Mr. SINGLEY [continuing]. People and I think we discussed here 

a little bit, I don’t know what else we do to get the education out. 

Mr. PERRY. What is the answer for somebody that comes into 

contact on an ancillary basis? Is it naloxone for them as well? Is 

that the answer? 

Mr. SINGLEY. Yes. 

Mr. PERRY. OK. 

Mr. SINGLEY. That is just a temporary fix. 

Mr. PERRY. Sure. 

Mr. SINGLEY. That’s not, you know, hopefully follow up and go 

to, you know, the emergency room or something like that. But 

yes—and every law enforcement officer I know, every EMS, everybody carries naloxone. 

Mr. PERRY. Right. 

Mr. SINGLEY. Even off-duty, in my backpack I have a tourniquet 

and naloxone. 

Mr. PERRY. Right, and we know now that for people that are receiving prescribed opiates, they have access to naloxone, and so I, 

you know, with this thing seemingly spiraling further and further, 

it is just, I think, important for people to know if, you know, if you 

have somebody that is using, however they got there, you potenVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
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tially are in jeopardy too and to be prepared to use it on yourself 

if you have to. It is just something to think about. 

Mr. Sunday, York County DA’s office has the most drug delivery 

resulting in death charges in the State based on your program. I 

am just wondering, do you think that is—using the charges deters 

future drug dealers? Do you think that they think about those 

things? Is that a consideration for them? Do you think it is a deterrent? 

Mr. SUNDAY. Well, I think—well first of all—thank you. A few 

different points I want to make to answer that question, and the 

first one is with regard to it being a deterrent. I would say that 

it is too early to tell if it really is a deterrent. What I can tell you 

is based on our investigations, without going into great detail, I 

know that there are street-level dealers and mid- to lower-level 

dealers who are cognizant of, believe it or not, the—what they are 

doing and the knowledge that they may want to make sure that 

it is not something that kills an individual. So we have had that 

through investigations come out. Is that a deterrent in a material 

way? I would say most likely not; however, drug delivery resulting 

in death as a charge is something that is one of a thousand arrows 

in the quiver that law enforcement and everyone in the community 

has to use to solve this problem. 

With that being said, it is important to remember that for—we 

have over 10,000 criminal cases a year in York County, and of 

those 10,000 cases, I would say on average maybe only 9 or 10 are 

the charge of drug delivery resulting in death. Over the last 4 

years, we have had 4 jury trials. They have all been convictions. 

We have had 4 people plead guilty to drug delivery resulting in 

death. We have had conspiracy to drug delivery resulting in death, 

involuntary manslaughter, third-degree murder conviction for this, 

and a point I want to make very quickly is, you know, necessity 

is the mother of invention, and through this awful, terrible crisis 

that we are in, there has been some positive points that I want to 

make. One of the main positive points I am going to say is the collaboration and the daily work that our local law enforcement does 

with our Federal partners all throughout this table and all 

throughout the country. I mean, they work together almost like 

they are coworkers in different buildings, and so that is something 

that is very positive that has come out of this that hopefully will 

certainly continue. 

Mr. PERRY. Pennsylvania—thank you. Pennsylvania enacted a 

Good Samaritan law which provides immunity to a person who 

calls 9–1–1 on behalf of someone suspected of overdosing. Do you 

think that has—does that make a difference? Do you think that— 

I would like your thoughts on that. 

Mr. SUNDAY. So that is a very controversial topic, and I am glad 

you asked that question because when we first—so when the Good 

Samaritan Act was first passed, the Good Samaritan law does not 

mandate—it does two things. No. 1, it allows for limited immunity 

for some of the calls to 9–1–1, but it also allows for police officers 

to carry naloxone. So York County jumped right on board. Delaware County was first. They had everybody with naloxone. We 

were shortly right after that, and so all the police officers carry 

naloxone. 

40 

Now with regard to the immunity part of this, the whole goal at 

that point—you have to remember 4 or 5 years ago, some people 

threw the red flag and they were saying this crisis is coming. It is 

coming. It is coming. So the legislature, I believe, rightly acted to 

create this immunity because I have personally had cases—we had 

a case in York County where someone was dying of a heroin overdose and the people with him threw him in a snowbank and let 

him die in a snowbank, because they didn’t want to call 9–1–1 because they knew they were going to get charged. So, as a result of 

the Good Samaritan Act, there are many, many more calls to emergency medical services for people that are overdosing. 

The issue, however—and all it is tangentially—I would say well 

more directly related to that is the use of naloxone and whether or 

not those two things combined has made a difference. So without 

taking your potential thunder on another question, the Good Samaritan Act itself, in my opinion, certainly has saved lives without 

question, because many, many more people call 9–1–1. You can’t 

save or fix dead, and so saving a life is Step 1. So that certainly, 

in my opinion, has achieved—has helped to achieve that, because 

York County law enforcement have saved over 400 lives with 

naloxone in 3 years, so—— 

Mr. PERRY. Yes. Well, I appreciate your candor and I think the 

people who care for those lives, family members, friends, or whatever, they are appreciative of the action as well because like you 

said, at least there is another opportunity to try and get on the 

straight and narrow and not be afflicted with it, but you lose that 

opportunity once the person is gone. So I know it is controversial, 

but you can see the tangible effect for family members and loved 

ones, and it is important, so—G.T.? 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. One final question from me just broadly 

to everyone, we—you know, I am so appreciative of the fact that 

we have gotten to a point with the—ODIN, the electronic data to 

be able to take what was overwhelming individual data points and 

not really benefit from it, and with this new system, it seems like 

we have moved beyond, you know, perhaps making decisions, tactical decisions, preemptive decisions based on gut instinct, experience, all good things, anecdotal information. 

So it was interesting at PaCIC the chance to see the heat maps 

of—and it was just PSP, obviously, but I was just wondering based 

on the data we have so far—and I know that that is relatively new, 

but impressive—any thoughts in terms of what the root causes of 

some of those more intense areas are? Is it travel corridors, is it— 

you know, this problem cuts across all socioeconomic classes, obviously all levels of education or lack of education. It seems like it 

is—doesn’t discriminate in terms of how it impacts all kinds of 

folks. I was just wondering have we been able to begin to identify 

any of the root causes where we have the—certainly some of the 

most intensive density of occurrence? 

Mr. SUNDAY. I mean, I would say it is supply and demand. In 

York County, if you look at the drug over-—the heroin or opioidrelated deaths in York County and you would put a heat map over 

York County, you would see that about 40 percent are within the 

city of York itself, which is in the very middle of the county, and 

then a few other areas, maybe 20 percent here, 15 percent there, 

41 

and all of the areas where the majority of the deaths are, are the 

areas where there is more heroin available. So—and although that 

sounds like a simplistic answer, very simply, you know, the areas 

where the most deaths are the areas where the most heroin is. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. We started to see—and maybe not yet, 

but the question is why are more people seeking it there? What is 

the root cause that causes that behavior? Maybe we are not there 

yet, but I think with this data that we are using today—we have 

to get to the root cause of our problem and you know, the why is 

the decision made to be able to seek that, and once the market— 

then market forces kick in. The more people seek it, the more the 

market will provide. 

Mr. SUNDAY. You have to kind-of look back in time because, for 

example, York City, like a lot of other third-class cities in the Commonwealth, have had a similar issue with regard to becoming basically like—and this happened over the last decade where they have 

become almost like treatment meccas. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Yes. 

Mr. SUNDAY. What I mean by that is there are several living 

homes that have popped up throughout a lot of these third-class 

cities. So there are over 100 in the city of York, and of those 100— 

I mean, they are not regulated. That has happened over the last 

decade, and so people have gone on-line to find a place to go recover. They see York, Pennsylvania. They will come to a home 

there, and again, they are not regulated. They are located right in 

the same area where a lot of the drug dealers are, and so it is sortof a self-fulfilling prophecy because you have people going to get 

treatment where the drug dealers are, and that in itself has created the catalyst through which those market forces have occurred. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. I have watched that evolution. I practice 

health care in Lycoming County, Williamsport, and that had its 

roots in, you know, what was—a decision was made to really, as 

you described, make it be a mecca for treatment. Unfortunately, 

not all treatment is effective. 

Mr. SUNDAY. Exactly. 

Mr. GLENN THOMPSON. Yes, and it had a lot of consequences as 

the decades went on. 

Thank you, Chairman. I yield back. 

Mr. PERRY. Yes, sir. I am going to get one last one in as well in 

the interest of time, but you know, each of you have a unique perspective about what maybe some of the whole-of-community and 

whole-of-Government solutions could be, and it is not going to end 

overnight, but I just want—you know, from your position, what efforts do you think would be most effective to end this or to seriously curb it? How should such—these efforts be measured, you 

know, if you have a thought on that? You know, like I said, just 

kind-of pick your brains a little bit. I mean, you are on the front 

lines, each of you, from your own perspective, so while things that 

are important to the DA might be wholly different than yours, you 

are worried about a huge influx of packages both on the, you know 

on the—I forget how you characterized those contract carriers as 

opposed to the mail, but each of you have a different perspective. 

Can you impart to us what you think would be—because we, you 

know, whether it is prescribing, whether it is availability, whether 

42 

as G.T. says—and I happen to agree with him—whether it is just 

the addictive—the nature of addictions. If we could solve that, this 

is just the flavor of the day, right, but if we could solve that—but 

each of your perspectives I think add to the equation here of a solution, and I would like to just get your final thoughts on that. 

Mr. MILLER. Looking at—I really value the work relationship we 

have with the Allegheny County laboratory. It seems that not only 

do they help us in our—turning over our—the drug analyses, but 

also with educating us on what the analogs are that they are finding day to day. Also, they are coordinated across the country to 

kind of educate us on what they are seeing in different areas of the 

country and what is popping up that is new. 

So you know, I think one aspect of that is continuing that work 

relationship with them, and another aspect is, you know, regionally 

we kind-of get together within a month HSI SACs, talk about JFK 

International mail facility. One key there is that the cases that we 

work, the information that we glean, intel that we gather needs to 

go back up there to, for the help of the targeting of these packages, 

and that is another key that kind of helps them to tie up the flowing into our area. So those are the two key aspects. 

Mr. PERRY. Thank you. Ms. Durst. 

Ms. DURST. Yes, sir, thank you. So first of all, again, I just wanted to say that CBP appreciates the instrumental support of Congress on the interdict and stop acts. Those things have been absolutely critical. Thank you very much on those. Know that we are 

going to continue—as you have heard from SAC Miller, we will absolutely continue to work with our partners in the Federal, State, 

and local arena. We have found that the best way for us to interdict fentanyl and—illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogs is those 

three elements of our K–9 assets, our X-ray technology, and the advanced targeting. In those arenas, it really does become very important, as you also heard from SAC Miller, that advanced information we can really do tremendous amounts of law enforcement 

analysis and study on it prior to the packages arriving at the 

United States. 

What we can also do is upon interdiction, we can then share that 

information with our law enforcement partners through our National Targeting Center and through these regionally established 

relationships, such as the Fusion Center here in Pennsylvania, to 

ensure that law enforcement entities at all levels of government 

have the information that they need in order to successfully combat 

this opioid epidemic. 

Mr. PERRY. We had a conversation earlier. Tell me again the volume of—by weight or packages that you deal with annually? 

Ms. DURST. It is 1.7 million per day approximately. Last year we 

saw—and those are packages with goods in them. That excludes 

letter class mail. Last year, we saw 501 million packages with 

goods. 

Mr. PERRY. How many K–9 officers do you have, ma’am? 

Ms. DURST. So at the express consignment courier facility in 

Philadelphia, we receive 3.8 million parcels annually, and we have 

three K–9 assets at that facility. 

Mr. PERRY. So 3.8 million parcels and three K–9 officers, and 

that has been a sticking point for the Committee and the DepartVerDate Mar 15 2010 11:52 Nov 28, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 H:\115TH CONGRESS\18OM0619\18OM0619.TXT HEATH
43 

ment of Homeland Security for some time. We feel that they need 

to have more resources in that regard because they are very effective. So thank you for your testimony. 

Mr. District Attorney. 

Mr. SUNDAY. First of all, I want to thank you sincerely for coming here and for having this hearing. This is obviously very, very 

important, and there are just a few final, brief notes here. 

The first one is we currently—if you look at this epidemic, we 

have people who are currently in the throes of addiction. Those individuals who are in the throes of addiction, we have to do everything we can to mitigate the addiction they are going through. All 

the individuals who have not become addicted, we have to do everything we can to keep that from happening. Both of those parts of 

this equation are completely contingent, in some ways, on the flow 

of drugs in our communities. 

So with that being said, you know, we local DAs, we are sort-of 

at the bottom of the valley and everything sort-of comes down into 

the valley, and we find ways to deal with it to keep our heads 

above water, you know, to work with everyone we can to come up 

with ideas and—but for that to ever start to work, the flow down 

the valley has to slow down. So I would very simply ask you to provide Mr. Miller and Ms. Durst everything they need to do their job 

to help turn the hose down, for lack of a better term, so that local 

authorities can even catch their breath to be able to do the things 

that we should be doing for our communities. 

So that is it. 

Mr. PERRY. Thank you. I think I got it. I appreciate it. 

Mr. Singley. 

Mr. SINGLEY. I like what Representative Thompson said at the 

beginning about this is all hands on deck. 

I see a lot of times people put efforts or money into the community or into prevention or treatment or law enforcement, and the 

fact is we are all together. You know, speaking from a trooper’s 

point of view, we are from the community. We are just people serving people, and you know, we took off 34 million or more dosage 

units last year. I think that would be preventative. We helped walk 

people into treatment, you know, and of course if all else fails, you 

know, we are there to keep law and order and arrest people. 

But I think when we concentrate on, you know, we can’t arrest 

our way out of this. Well, we can’t prevent our way out of this. It 

is sort-of—it separates us as opposed to putting us together, and 

I think we—as we are sitting here and as you are here with us 

today—and thank you—we need to come together. 

Mr. PERRY. We are mindful that the people that are addicted 

don’t—they don’t want to be addicted, and you said it well, they’ve, 

you know, they got people that are and people that are using that 

may be, and we got to do all we can to save these from being and 

those from getting. We appreciate more than you know your input 

today, and your willingness to leave your posts, so to speak, and 

come up here and provide the information to us. It is important as 

policy makers that we are informed. 

You know, I—from my standpoint, I learned a lot, but I still have 

some outstanding questions. I think this dark net thing is something that—and as a parent, I think we have to figure a way to 

44 

be informed so we know what kids are doing, and they are getting 

it somehow, and maybe we are not tech savvy enough to know 

what it is, but if we care about our kids and we want them to stay 

alive and stay away from this stuff, then we are going to have to 

get in the fight on that. So information is powerful, and it is just 

one of the many things that we—I think personally I got out of 

today is just more of an awareness of that, and my lack of information on it. So I have to do a better job myself with that. 

In any case, in the interest of time, the Chair thanks the witnesses for their valuable testimony and the Members for their 

questions. Members may have some additional questions for the 

witnesses, and we will ask that witnesses respond to those in writing, if you should get any questions from us that we lacked—failed 

to get to you today. 

Pursuant to Committee Rule VII(D), the hearing record will remain open for 10 days, and without objection, this committee 

stands adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 1:55 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.] 

Æ