Watch full press conference here.
MIAMI, Fla.—Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl continue to kill thousands of Americans every year. To stop the manufacturing of these murder pills, Senator Ashley Moody is targeting the equipment used by drug cartels to create them. Today joined by law enforcement and local officials in Miami, Senator Moody announced the introduction of the PRESS Act. The act criminalizes the intentional importation of pill press machines and unlisted precursor chemicals with the intent to manufacture illicit drugs. Rep. Addison McDowell introduced an identical measure in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“We are turning the corner in the fight to end the opioid crisis. Overdose deaths are on the decline and President Trump closed the border—making it more difficult for cartels to smuggle drugs into our country. However, thousands of Americans continue to die from opioid poisoning and counterfeit pills containing lethal doses of fentanyl play a major role in overall deaths,” said Senator Ashley Moody. “To stop the manufacturing of these murder pills, I am sponsoring the PRESS Act. My bill will outlaw the importation of this pharmaceutical equipment by anyone who intends to create counterfeit pills.”
“Having lost my little brother to a counterfeit pill likely produced using precursors smuggled across the border from China, it has been my top priority in Congress to combat the fentanyl crisis and make sure our law enforcement has the tools and resources they need to bring this crisis to a halt,” Rep. Addison McDowell said. “I commend Sen. Moody’s leadership on bringing up the PRESS Act in the Senate, and I look forward to seeing this legislation make it to the President’s desk.”
BACKGROUND:
- Pill press machines are often imported into the country by drug cartels piecemeal and then assembled domestically to produce counterfeit pills that are then sold to Americans and often laced with deadly fentanyl.
- The PRESS Act gives federal prosecutors the tools needed to charge foreign entities who import unlisted precursor chemicals and pill press machines with the intent to manufacture illicit drugs.
- The bill adds criminal penalties for the unlawful importation of pill presses:
- No more than eight years for the illicit manufacturing or distribution of a tableting machine, encapsulating machine, press punch, die system, gelatin capsule, or related equipment and unlisted precursor chemical;
- Not more than 15 years for violations involving more than 1,000 kilograms.
- In 2025, the DEA seized more than 45 million fentanyl pills, and more than 9,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, removing at least an estimated 347 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl from our communities.
- DEA intelligence indicates a shift in cartel operations, with increased trafficking of fentanyl powder and domestic production of fentanyl pills.
- Counterfeit pills are pressed to look like legitimate prescription opioids using imported tableting machines, punches, and die-molds. These table-top pill press machines can produce up to 5,000 pills per hour, with larger floor models producing 15,000 pills per hour.
- China and Central American cartels skillfully smuggle pill press parts through U.S. ports and customs, often labeling them as “furniture parts” or “machine spare parts.” These parts are then reassembled as unregistered pill presses and used to mass produce counterfeit pills.
- As Florida’s Attorney General, Senator Moody issued many warnings and public awareness materials about the dangers of using counterfeit pills.
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