GOP Rep. Michelle Steel hosted a meeting with State Assemblyman Tri Ta. Steel and Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, saying she will take the “new insights” learned about tackling China’s threats back to Washington.
Southern California leaders are prioritizing Communist China’s threats against American interests and global security as massive hauls of fentanyl manufactured by the foreign nation continue to pour over the Southern Border and plague families across the region.
GOP Rep. Michelle Steel hosted a meeting with State Assemblyman Tri Ta. Steel and Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes on Sept. 6, saying she will take the “new insights” learned about tackling China’s threats back to Washington.
“As a member of the House Select Committee on Communist China, I’m passionate about countering threats posed by the CCP, especially their flooding of fentanyl into our country and efforts harm our supply chains,” Steel, who represents California’s 45th congressional district that covers north Orange County and parts of Los Angeles County, said in a news release.
In Fiscal Year 2023, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents reported encountering almost half of the around 2,800 pounds of fentanyl seized by the U.S. Border Patrol. The San Diego Sector covers about 60 linear miles of the international border with Mexico, starting at Imperial Beach, CA.
Just last week, agents seized 168 pounds of deadly fentanyl stashed inside the trunks of cars worth over $1 million — a predominant method used by traffickers at ports of entry and through vehicle stops on highways.
The crisis under the Biden-Harris Administration has become a significant public health issue as fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45, according to Newsweek that reported the majority of illegally manufactured fentanyl is responsible for approximately 70% of drug overdose deaths in the U.S.
In an op-ed with the Orange County Register last month, Steel slammed the Biden Administration for allowing 10 million illegal border crossings, leading to a significant increase in fentanyl trafficking by the hands of Communist China and Mexican drug cartels
“Make no mistake, both the President and Vice President own this crisis,” she wrote. “Since President Biden put VP Harris in charge of the border early in his term, illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking have surged.”
Steel also highlighted at Monday’s roundtable discussion that China is spearheading “malign activities” such as spying, theft of intellectual property, attacks on human rights, and efforts to influence America’s colleges and universities.
Assemblyman Tri Ta said the “CCP’s role in the fentanyl crisis that is killing our young people is unconscionable.”
“And whether through propaganda-style college academic programs, foreign agents infiltrating the highest levels of government, or attempts to subvert our democracy, the CCP’s reach into our society is an extreme breach of our sovereignty.”
U.S. lawmakers last year passed the DETERRENT Act, which Steel sponsored to reduce Communist influence on higher education after reports of unreported gifts and donations came from China.
