Senator Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) announced a bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act aimed at cracking down on equipment used to manufacture illicit drugs.
During a press conference in Miami, Fla., Sen. Moody joined alongside law enforcement and local officials to announce the Preventing Rogue Equipment for Synthetic Substances (PRESS) Act.
“To stop the manufacturing of these murder pills, I am sponsoring the PRESS Act. My bill will outlaw the importation of this pharmaceutical equipment by anyone who intends to create counterfeit pills,” Sen. Moody unveiled.
The legislation will not only aim to criminalize the equipment but also seek to criminalize the “unlisted precursor chemicals” used during the manufacturing process.
“We are turning the corner in the fight to end the opioid crisis. Overdose deaths are on the decline, and President Trump closed the border—making it more difficult for cartels to smuggle drugs into our country. However, thousands of Americans continue to die from opioid poisoning, and counterfeit pills containing lethal doses of fentanyl play a major role in overall deaths,” Sen. Moody said.
According to a press release from Sen. Moody’s office, pill press machines are often imported by drug cartels in fragments, which are then put together within the U.S. to manufacture illicit pills. Both Chinese and Central American cartels smuggle drug equipment through U.S. ports and customs by labeling parts as “furniture parts” or “machine spare parts.”
These manufactured substances, which are then sold to Americans, are often laced with deadly fentanyl.
Rep. Addison McDowell (R-N.C.), sponsor of an identical Press Act introduced in the House of Representatives, commended Sen. Moody’s actions.
"I commend Sen. Moody’s leadership on bringing up the PRESS Act in the Senate, and I look forward to seeing this legislation make it to the President's desk,” Rep. McDowell stated.
In her previous role as Florida’s Attorney General, Sen. Moody advocated about the dangers of counterfeit drugs by issuing several warnings and public awareness materials.
