Drug Czar Jim Carroll: ’93 Percent of Heroin’ in U.S. ‘Comes from Mexico’

Jim Carroll, director of the U.S. Office of Drug Control Policy, told Breitbart News that “93 percent of heroin” in the country “comes from Mexico,” offering his remarks on Friday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow.

Carroll’s comments came ahead of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Takeback Day, scheduled for Saturday. The DEA is encouraging Americans to “prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths” by disposing of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications at collection sites.

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Marlow invited Carroll’s comments linking border security to the DEA’s broader mandate to enforce laws and regulations related to controlled substances.

“We’re really working hard, especially our folks at DHS, whether it’s the U.S. Coast Guard out at sea, border patrol, or Customs and Border Protection,” replied Carroll. “These men and women out there are really doing everything they can to protect us from drugs coming into our country.”

Carroll added, “I think it’s important for everyone to realize — when we talk about the southwest border — 93 percent of the heroin that comes into the country comes from Mexico. So it’s coming right across the border.”

“We know fentanyl is being produced in Mexico as well as China, and coming across the border, as well,” continued Carroll. “Even cocaine from Columbia is not all coming by sea, some it is also coming up through the southwest border, as well.”

Carroll noted a 25 percent increase in cocaine seizures across the southwest border in 2019 relative to 2018’s annual total.

“In 2018, 6,500 pounds of cocaine were seized between the ports of entry along the southwest border. Do you want to know what it is in ’19? We’re not even finished with ’19. Not even halfway through 2019, our folks at DHS along the southwest border, between ports of entry, 8,100 pounds of cocaine have been seized. We are working hard there.”

Carroll praised President Donald Trump’s prioritization of combating drug trafficking and addiction. “Under this president, we have more people accessing treatment than ever before,” he said.

“Six billion dollars, with the president pushing for this, the president signed it,” stated Carroll. “Another six billion dollars to help with this across the board, whether it’s prevention — which we’re leading some great efforts here at the White House, as well as the rest of the administration — treatment — to help people that need it — and as well as for our law enforcement and interdiction partners to go after this not just along the border, but we’re reaching out overseas and tackling this at the source country where it’s coming from.”

Carroll concluded, “The 2020 budget the president put forth contains 34.6 billion dollars to go after this across the board; treatment, prevention, interdiction. It’s the most ever, in the history of our country, no other president has put more towards treatment, prevention, and interdiction than President Trump. He cares about saving lives and we’re doing it.”

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Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter @rkraychik.