U.S. Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) hosted FBI Director Kash Patel in Allentown on April 1 for a roundtable focused on the ongoing fentanyl crisis. The event brought together federal and state law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and families affected by fentanyl to discuss recent progress, challenges, and strategies related to enforcement, treatment, and recovery.
The meeting addressed the significant toll of fentanyl overdoses in Pennsylvania while highlighting recent declines in deaths attributed to collaborative efforts among agencies. From 2020 to 2023, approximately 4,000 Pennsylvanians died each year from fentanyl-related causes; preliminary data suggests that number dropped to about 1,500 in 2025—the lowest level seen in a decade. Overdose deaths declined by more than 30 percent between 2023 and 2024 across the state.
“When I ran for Senate, I promised Pennsylvania families I would secure the border, take on the cartels, and stop the flow of fentanyl precursors from China. While there is more to do, we are making a lot of progress,” said Senator McCormick. “That is what a whole-of-government approach looks like, and I am grateful to Director Patel, the FBI, and state and local partners for their partnership in this fight.”
Director Patel said: “Senator McCormick and our partners in Pennsylvania have been tremendous supporters for law enforcement…helping this FBI and interagency partners across the country deliver record results on tackling the fentanyl crisis within the last year alone. But we’re doubling down on and just getting started. I want to thank Senator McCormick for hosting this event…so we can cut off the flow of deadly fentanyl and put away criminal actors who traffic through our communities.”
Law enforcement agencies reported notable seizures over recent months: nearly 5,000 pounds of fentanyl were confiscated nationally—a figure up by more than thirty percent year-over-year—and enough cocaine was seized between January–September 2025 to total over sixty-six thousand kilograms. Locally in Philadelphia during 2205 (sic), violent crime arrests rose fifteen percent compared with last year.
New drug threats such as medetomidine—now found in eighty-seven percent of Philadelphia drug samples—xylazine (a veterinary tranquilizer), and nitazenes (synthetic opioids much stronger than fentanyl) are raising additional concerns among authorities.
Senator McCormick has introduced several legislative measures targeting these substances including the Nitazene Control Act as well as cosponsoring laws like the HALT Fentanyl Act—signed into law by President Trump—to classify all forms of these drugs under Schedule I regulations permanently.
McCormick’s background includes service as a captain with deployment during Operation Desert Storm according to his official website. He grew up in Bloomsburg as the son of educators according to his official website, earned advanced degrees from Princeton University after graduating West Point according to his official website, served as CEO at FreeMarkets & Bridgewater Associates along with senior government roles according to his official website, focuses legislative work on issues such as energy innovation & national defense according to his official website, serves key committee assignments focusing on economic renewal & bipartisan cooperation according to his official website.
