BOISE, Idaho —
Tuesday afternoon, Governor Brad Little announced that he and 25 other governors are creating the American Governors' Border Strike Force, a multi-state partnership designed to disrupt and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations.
"Meth and fentanyl are the most serious and growing drug threats in Idaho, and there is a direct tie to the loose border with Mexico. Border security is interconnected with the health and safety of American citizens,” said Governor Brad Little. “The Biden Administration has refused to address the crisis at the border, so once again America's governors are stepping up."
Data collected by Idaho State Police (ISP) showed from January to September 2021, troopers seized more than 125,000 fentanyl pills statewide. It's an increase of 562 percent from 2020.
The governor’s office said the new strike force is intended to target cartels and criminal organizations operationally and financially by increasing collaboration, improving intelligence, investing in analysis, combating human smuggling, and stopping drug flow among each of the participating states.
Signatories to the memorandum include Brad Little (ID), Governors Doug Ducey (AZ), Greg Abbott (TX), Kay Ivey (AL), Mike Dunleavy (AK), Asa Hutchinson (AR), Ron DeSantis (FL), Brian Kemp (GA), Eric Holcomb (IN), Kim Reynolds (IA), Larry Hogan (MD), Tate Reeves (MS), Mike Parson (MO), Greg Gianforte (MT), Pete Ricketts (NE), Chris Sununu (NH), Doug Burgum (ND), Mike DeWine (OH), Kevin Stitt (OK), Henry McMaster (SC), Kristi Noem (SD), Bill Lee (TN), Spencer Cox (UT), Glenn Youngkin (VA), Jim Justice (WV), and Mark Gordon (WY).
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