Rep. Harder Urges DEA to Make “Zombie Drug” Xylazine a Controlled Substance
Following three recent overdose deaths in the Central Valley, Harder is once again calling for urgent DEA action to stop the spread of xylazine-laced fentanyl.
In his letter, Harder cites Stockton’s shortage of police officers and first responders as a major concern as overdoses start to climb.
STOCKTON - Today, Rep. Josh Harder urged the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in a letter to criminalize the tranquilizer drug, Xylazine, and take additional actions to stop the flow of the “zombie drug” into Central Valley communities. Rep. Harder first raised alarms last year on the increase in xylazine-laced fentanyl overdose deaths and a potential crisis in San Joaquin County and throughout the Valley. Making Xylazine a Schedule III controlled substance would give law enforcement more authority to make arrests and restrict the drug’s trafficking.
In 2022, the DEA seized more than four hundred million lethal doses of fentanyl with over 25% of doses containing xylazine, commonly referred to as “tranq”, “tranq dope,” or the “zombie drug.” In his letter, Harder acknowledges San Joaquin County is not equipped to deal with the worsening xylazine-laced fentanyl crisis, calling out the current shortage of Stockon’s police officers and first responders.
“Xylazine is making the fentanyl crisis even more deadly, and we need to do more to keep this ‘zombie drug’ away from our kids and off our streets,” said Rep. Harder. “This drug is meant to tranquilize thousand-pound horses. Now, it’s being mixed with the deadliest drug in America. The opioid epidemic keeps changing and we need to make sure law enforcement and first responders can keep up. If a police officer pulls over a car with a trunk full of Xylazine, they should be able to make an arrest. It’s a no-brainer.”
Harder wrote a letter to DEA Secretary Milgram last Aprilrequesting more drug intervention resources to stop the spread of Xylazine, predicting that the crisis would make its way to San Joaquin County unless preventative measures were put in place.
Since then, Harder helped pass the SUPPORT Act reauthorization funding substance abuse services across the country, as well as co-led the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act and the Safer Response Act to provide first responders with the proper training to meet the new Xylazine crisis.
Rep. Harder’s letter to DEA Secretary Milgram can be found below:
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Administrator Anne Milgram
Drug Enforcement Administration
8701 Morrissette Drive/
Springfield, VA 22152
Dear Administrator Milgram,
I write today to continue expressing my concern regarding the devastating impact of Xylazine in our communities and urge you to take additional steps to combat the spread of this drug.
The California Department of Public Health recently issued a letter warning healthcare facilities to prepare for the rising impact of Xylazine. The letter goes on to say that experts are “concerned that the presence of illicit Xylazinecould increase in California”. Given fentanyl was responsible for over 80% of all opioid-related overdose deaths in 2021, it’s clear that the addition of xylazine into the mix has the potential to fundamentally change this crisis. The growing distribution of illicit xylazineis especially concerning for the San Joaquin Valley as we are currently unequipped to meet a worsening drug crisis due to staff shortages at our police departments and hospitals.
I urge you to increase your FY25 budget request for programs like HIDTA and Operation Engage, so communities like mine can expand their comprehensive community-level approach to addressing this drug crisis. Every dollar will help our state and local governments fight this crisis. Additionally, I urge the DEA to classify Xylazine as a Schedule III drug. Taking this step will help our law enforcement crack down on the illicit use of Xylazine.
Sincerely,
Josh Harder
Member of Congress
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