From Fox News: A trio of Republican senators is introducing a coordinated slate of legislation to crack down on nitazenes — a class of synthetic opioids that are little known to the public but increasingly viewed by law enforcement and health officials as potentially the next fentanyl-level crisis.
Sens. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania unveiled three new bills aimed at addressing the growing spread of nitazenes through law enforcement, technology and foreign policy measures. The push represents one of the most aggressive congressional efforts yet to get ahead of what experts warn could be a deadly new chapter in America’s opioid epidemic.
Schmitt’s Detection Equipment and Technology Evaluation to Counter the Threat of Nitazenes Act of 2025, or DETECT Nitazenes Act, directs the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Drug Enforcement Administration to develop and deploy new technology capable of detecting trace amounts of nitazenes. The bill also updates the Homeland Security Act to explicitly include nitazenes in federal efforts to identify and disrupt illicit substances.
Ricketts and Schmitt joined McCormick and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in introducing the Nitazene Control Act, which would permanently classify nitazenes as Schedule I controlled substances under federal law — the same category as heroin, fentanyl and LSD.
And in a third measure, Ricketts, Schmitt and McCormick rolled out the Nitazene Sanctions Act, which targets the Chinese supply chain behind the synthetic opioids.
“Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that are cheap to produce and devastatingly lethal. We must learn from the fentanyl crisis and act now before nitazenes spiral out of control. Proud to join @SenMcCormickPA and @SenatorRicketts to help prevent the flow & keep Americans safe,” Schmitt announced.
Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that are cheap to produce and devastatingly lethal.
We must learn from the fentanyl crisis and act now before nitazenes spiral out of control.
Proud to join @SenMcCormickPA and @SenatorRicketts to help prevent the flow & keep Americans safe. pic.twitter.com/eYldj2d9rI
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) October 30, 2025
CBS Evening News covered the growing danger of nitazene last month:
NITAZENE, a more powerful class of synthetic opioids, is killing citizens all over the USA. These substances have surfaced in the country for several years and are part of another deadly phase of our adversaries using chemicals made in labs outside the country to harm Americans!… pic.twitter.com/ajfPYWhu1T
— Derek Maltz Sr (@derekmaltz_sr) August 31, 2025
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