Rep. Gabe Vasquez Champions Bipartisan Solutions to Protect New Mexicans From Fentanyl Crisis

July 2, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 2, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) championed two bipartisan bills to protect New Mexicans from the fentanyl crisis, Tyler’s Law (H.R. 2004) and Sammy’s Law (H.R. 2657). Tyler’s Law helps prevent fentanyl overdoses by encouraging hospitals to test for fentanyl more regularly when a patient is experiencing an overdose. Sammy’s Law bolsters youth online safety by giving parents tools to help ensure their children are not using social media platforms to engage in drug deals and other dangerous behaviors. These bipartisan solutions come on the heels of reports that federal officials knowingly let hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills flood into New Mexico communities. “Fentanyl is cutting too many lives short, ripping apart New Mexico families. We need to attack this crisis from every angle: stopping traffickers at the border, holding federal officials accountable when they fail our communities, giving parents tools to keep their kids safe online, and helping hospitals identify fentanyl overdoses faster,” said Vasquez . “Tyler’s Law and Sammy’s Law are bipartisan, commonsense solutions that will help protect families, save lives, and keep this poison off our streets.” Both Tyler’s Law and Sammy’s Law have support from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, with Tyler’s Law having endorsements from a host of community organizations, including the American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Nurses Association, AIDS United, National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association, Facing Fentanyl, Voices for Awareness, Project Eli, Song for Charlie, End Overdose, High Truths on Drugs and Addiction, Sun Shine on You Foundation, Drug Awareness Foundation, VOID, Victoria’s Voice, and Stop Drug Homicide. Sammy’s Law is named after Sammy Chapman, who, at the age of 16, was approached by a drug dealer on Snapchat and was unknowingly a victim of fentanyl poisoning. New Mexico faces one of the most severe drug abuse crises in the nation , with overdose rates almost double the national average and youth drug use rates 50% higher than the national average. Nationwide, fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45. These two bipartisan bills build on Vasquez’s longstanding record of fighting for solutions to stop illegal drugs from flowing into New Mexico communities and senselessly claiming lives: On June 25, 2026, Vasquez sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) alongside his House colleagues Reps. Stansbury and Leger Fernández demanding answers and accountability following reports that “federal agents and prosecutors knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach the streets of Albuquerque and other New Mexico communities in a practice known as ‘walking.’” Earlier this year, Vasquez cosponsored H.R.1294 , the BEST Facilitation Act , and H.R.285 , the Advanced Border Coordination Act of 2025 — two bipartisan, commonsense solutions to combat the flow of illegal goods into the country by enhancing U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) cargo scanning capabilities at points of entry and improving coordination between law enforcement agencies at the southern border. Vasquez also introduced the Stop COYOTES Act , which improves public safety by imposing harsher penalties against human smugglers and fentanyl traffickers while also improving information sharing and reporting between DHS and local law enforcement along the border. Vasquez has cosponsored the Fight Fentanyl Act , which would reform and reauthorize the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program through FY2030 at $333 million per year. It would also create a $14 million grant program for federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies with a HIDTA presence to improve their fentanyl interdiction efforts. ### Issues : Immigration & Border Solutions Keeping Our Communities Safe Education & Family Support