NW Valley Times

U.S. Congressional candidate Blake Masters (R-AZ-8) said President Joe Biden should be held responsible for the number of crimes and deaths occurring as a result of his open border policies. 

“Every death from fentanyl is a tragedy… and under Joe Biden, the tragedies are piling up," Masters told NW Valley Times. "Biden and his cronies should have liability for negligent homicide or even intentional homicide, as their open borders policies are demonstrably killing Americans by the thousands." 

"When Trump is back in the White House and I’m backing him up in Congress, we’ll seal the border, shut down the fentanyl trade, and keep Americans safe," he said.

Records from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) show continued increases every year since 2020 in submissions for prosecution regarding fentanyl. 

The MCAO began tracking the number of fentanyl cases submitted to their office in the second half of 2020, and since then has seen increases each calendar year, starting with just 953 recorded in 2020, to 7877 in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022, according to an analysis by PHX Reporter.

The MCAO reported approximately 2,214 fentanyl cases through April of 2024, putting them on track to surpass the 2023 number of cases by the end of the calendar year. 

“MCAO will continue to lead the fight against fentanyl by prosecuting high level distributors, educating the community, and helping to distribute lifesaving Narcan,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a release. “Fentanyl is very cheap, extremely addictive, and it’s tearing families and communities apart.” 

“Teens today are buying pills they don’t know are fake and that contain lethal doses of this poison,” Mitchell said. “If one conversation can save a life, it’s all worth doing. So please, stay informed and spread the word.”

While fentanyl cases in the MCAO used to be regarded as significant if they revealed 1,000 pills containing fentanyl, the office now regularly deals with cases involving millions of pills at a time. 

Maricopa County has seen a 5000% increase in fentanyl related deaths since 2015, according to their fentanyl information center. They have also seen the overdose deaths in teens double since 2019. 

Blake is running to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. He was previously endorsed by President Donald Trump in his 2022 race for U.S. Senate. Blake grew up and attended high school in Arizona before graduating from Stanford University and Stanford Law School. He and his wife, Catherine, have four sons.

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How many fentanyl related cases were reported in Maricopa County?

Year	# of Cases Submitted to MCAO
2020	923
2021	4734
2022	6629
2023	7877

Source: The Maricopa County Attorney's Office