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Border Enforcement Actions Dropped In December, Yet Fentanyl Seizures Still Skyrocketing, Per Customs And Border Patrol

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) K-9 agent checks automobiles for contraband in the line to enter the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on October 2, 2019 in San Ysidro, California. - Fentanyl, a powerful painkiller approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for a range of conditions, has been central to the American opioid crisis which began in the late 1990s. China was the first country to manufacture illegal fentanyl for the US market, but the problem surged when trafficking through Mexico began around 2005, according to Donovan. (Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Christian Datoc Senior White House Correspondent
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Deputy Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection Robert Perez announced on WMAL Thursday that border enforcement actions in December 2019 saw a five percent dip from the November figures, marking the seventh consecutive month of decreased enforcement actions.

In total, the combined 40,620 enforcement actions, including 32,858 apprehensions and 7,762 inadmissibility decisions, mark a 72 percent decrease from May’s highpoint of illegal border activity, deemed a humanitarian crisis by President Donald Trump’s administration. Overall, CBP enforcement actions dropped 33 percent from fiscal year 2019 to 2020, including total apprehensions for family units, unaccompanied children, and single adults. (RELATED: Is There A New Surge Of Migrants Coming To The Southern Border?)

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents check pedestrians' documentation at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on October 2, 2019 in San Ysidro, California. - Fentanyl, a powerful painkiller approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for a range of conditions, has been central to the American opioid crisis which began in the late 1990s. China was the first country to manufacture illegal fentanyl for the US market, but the problem surged when trafficking through Mexico began around 2005, according to Donovan. (Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER / AFP) (Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan attributed the decline directly to Trump’s policies.

“This seven month decline is a direct result of President Trump’s network of policy initiatives and our ability to effectively enforce the law, enhance our border security posture and properly care for those in custody,” he said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) K-9 agent checks automobiles for contraband in the line to enter the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on October 2, 2019 in San Ysidro, California. - Fentanyl, a powerful painkiller approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for a range of conditions, has been central to the American opioid crisis which began in the late 1990s. China was the first country to manufacture illegal fentanyl for the US market, but the problem surged when trafficking through Mexico began around 2005, according to Donovan. (Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER / AFP) (Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Still, Perez noted that “cross-border smuggling of illegal drugs continues to threaten communities throughout our nation.”

So far, nationwide drug seizures of heroin and fentanyl had jumped by 27 and 80 percent respectively compared to the previous, which Perez called “a sober reminder that we are in the midst of a national security crisis on the Southwest border.”