Missouri Governor Mike Parson declared this week that the state is sending as many as 200 National Guard soldiers and 22 state highway patrol troopers to aid in securing sections of the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
On February 20th, the Republican governor issued a statement, expressing that he observed “a crisis” directly contributing to America’s drug problem.
“About two weeks ago, I visited the Southern Border, and let me not mince words when I say it is a crisis,” Parson said.
“The Biden administration’s border policies have fueled the fentanyl crisis in Missouri,” he added.
“Missourians are dying; families are being ripped apart; communities are being destroyed, and Missouri children are falling victim. It all stems from the Biden Administration’s reckless, irresponsible, and failing open-border policies. With our Southern Border wide open, every state is now a border state,” he later added.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that the fentanyl crisis is worsening in Missouri, with data from the agency revealing a significant increase in overdose deaths since 2016.
Statistics indicate that there were over 2,163 overdose fatalities in Missouri in 2021, a rise from 1,366 in 2017. Health authorities state that around 70 percent of these