Pappas’s Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Fentanyl Crisis, Crack Down on Drug Trafficking Included in Defense Authorization Bill

The bipartisan Destruction Initiative for Stored Precursors Overseas and Safe Enforcement (DISPOSE) Act, championed by Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025 that the House passed this week. This bipartisan legislation would create fentanyl and precursor chemical destruction facilities in three critical drug trafficking choke points: Mexico, Colombia, and Peru. 

Fentanyl and other synthetic drugs have taken the lives of tens of thousands of Americans. This legislation deals with the problem by developing a strategy to locate, identify, and safely destroy fentanyl precursor chemicals before they reach the United States.

“Strengthening our collaboration with partners in Latin America on drug interdiction efforts will help stop fentanyl and other deadly substances from flowing into our communities,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “The DISPOSE Act will establish centers in Mexico, Colombia, and Peru that identify and destroy fentanyl and precursor drugs, stopping these drugs before they reach American soil. I’ll continue to support efforts that hold drug traffickers accountable, keep our communities safe, and save lives.”

Background: 

The DISPOSE Act establishes the Precursor Chemical Destruction Initiative to fight drug trafficking with our partners in the Western Hemisphere. Working directly with partner countries, the Initiative will:

• Increase rates of seizure and destruction of listed chemicals in beneficiary countries;
• Alleviate the backlog of seized chemicals and dispose them in an environmentally safe and effective manner;
• Ensure that the seized chemicals are not reintroduced into the illicit drug production network within beneficiary countries;
• Free up storage space for future chemical seizures within beneficiary countries; and
• Reduce the chemicals’ negative environmental impact.

Senators Chuck Grassley (IA), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), and Jim Risch (ID) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. To read the text of the bill, click here.