Walkinshaw's Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Advances Out of Homeland Security Committee

Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act would require performance metrics and improved data-sharing across DHS components

Washington, June 24, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Homeland Security Committee today advanced the Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11) and Michael McCaul (TX-10) that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish clear performance metrics for detecting, deterring, and seizing illicit fentanyl — and break down the information silos that have hampered a coordinated federal response.

"Fentanyl's devastating consequences know no partisan boundaries and respect no ideology,” said Congressman Walkinshaw. “It is the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45, and every single day, families across this country are burying their children, their loved ones, their neighbors because of this illicit drug. That is why I am proud to reach across the aisle to fight it and ensure that DHS accurately measures the detection and seizure of illicit fentanyl across all DHS components. The families who have lost someone to fentanyl deserve action, not just words. Today we delivered. I will keep fighting to get this common-sense bill across the finish line."

The bill comes after a September 2025 Government Accountability Office report found that despite a Congressional mandate in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, DHS components still lack clear performance goals to measure illicit fentanyl interdiction efforts and consistent data-sharing procedures across the department.

The legislation would require DHS-wide data sharing, ensure full implementation of the assessment program Congress already mandated, and establish clear performance goals to track how effectively the department is combating illicit fentanyl trafficking.

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program supports the legislation, noting that sharing information and measuring impact is critical to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations.

The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Michael Guest (MS-03) and Lou Correa (CA-46), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.

Read the full bill text here.

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