Two Empty Chairs: My Personal Mission to End the Fentanyl Epidemic

Two chairs for the two loved ones I lost to fentanyl.

This one isn’t abstract to me.

It’s not a talking point.

It’s personal.

I’ve lost two people I cared deeply about to fentanyl overdoses. Two souls who didn’t have to die. Two families shattered because a poison crossed our border and found its way into their bloodstream.

That pain changed me—and it sharpened my mission.

As a criminal defense lawyer, I see firsthand the destruction fentanyl causes in our communities. I’ve watched families ripped apart, promising futures vanish, and courts overflow with cases that all trace back to this single, deadly compound.

But what makes it worse—what makes it infuriating—is that this crisis is preventable.

Fentanyl isn’t some natural disaster. It’s a manmade catastrophe, fueled by cartels, open-border policies, and political cowardice.

And my opponent, Jasmine Crockett, voted against bipartisan legislation that would’ve made it harder for fentanyl to enter our country illegally.

She chose politics over people.

I won’t.

If elected, I will be a champion in the fight to rid our nation of the fentanyl crisis—not with speeches, but with action.

Here’s my plan:

1. Declare Fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction

Fentanyl kills more Americans than most wars.

Let’s treat it that way.

I’ll push to:

• Classify illicit fentanyl and its analogues as weapons of mass destruction under federal law.

• Grant federal law enforcement and military the authority to disrupt cartel operations across borders in partnership with allied nations.

• Charge fentanyl trafficking resulting in death as second-degree murder at the federal level.

2. Secure the Border with Fentanyl-Detection Tech

Most fentanyl enters through the southern border, hidden in cars, trucks, and human bodies.

We need to stop it before it enters the bloodstream of another American.

My plan includes:

• Deployment of next-gen scanning tech at all ports of entry.

• Drone surveillance and sensor towers in high-traffic smuggling corridors.

• Increased penalties for smugglers, mules, and corrupt agents, paired with expanded funding for honest Border Patrol officers.

3. Expand Treatment, Not Tolerance

Once fentanyl hooks someone, it doesn’t let go easily.

We need more beds, more counselors, and faster access to recovery programs, especially in low-income communities.

I support:

• Federal recovery grant expansion for states that prioritize abstinence-based and faith-based recovery.

• Community-based intervention grants to fund education, support groups, and mentorship for at-risk youth.

4. Hold China and Mexico Accountable

Fentanyl precursors often start in China and are assembled in Mexico.

Both governments know it—and allow it.

I will:

• Support trade consequences for nations that enable fentanyl production and trafficking.

• Introduce sanctions and export controls targeting the companies and officials involved.

Fentanyl took lives I loved.

It’s taken far too many more since.

I can’t bring those people back—but I can make sure fewer families feel what I’ve felt.

If you’re ready for real action—not hashtags—follow @SholdonDaniels on X and support my campaign to make TX30 a leader in the fight to end the fentanyl crisis.