U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, has secured what he calls state and national security priorities in the annual intelligence bill.
Kelly said the Intelligence Authorization Act includes measures to strengthen counterintelligence briefings for military personnel, improve coordination between the U.S. and Mexico to combat drug trafficking, ensure emerging technology is provided to the U.S. intelligence community, and improve oversight of classified access decisions across administrations.
“For Arizona, I worked to protect the border against cartel drone surveillance and strengthen coordination with Mexico to counter drug trafficking,” said Kelly in a press release.
Arizona is no stranger to drug overdoses, especially those that involve fentanyl. The Focus on Fentanyl website from Maricopa County says “fentanyl is now the deadliest drug in Arizona” and points out that even a few grains of fentanyl are strong enough to kill an adult male. While fentanyl may be manufactured elsewhere and shipped to places south of the border, special interest groups and members of Congress say fentanyl is coming into the United States through Mexico.
The Senate Select Committee approved the IAA with bipartisan support. The vote was 15-2.
