Selective: Increased Meth in Florida and the Southern Border

Misbar’s investigation found that the subject is complicated. The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 banned mass sales of over-the-counter cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed, used to make meth. Still, meth lab incidents increased over the following few years, with many groups “smurfing,” or sending people out to several stores to make single purchases of PSE to circumvent the law. An analysis by the American Addiction Centers shows there have been at least 877 meth labs in Florida in the past decade. 

Most of the meth in Florida does come from foreign sources. Although it is nebulous data at best, analysts rely on drug seizure data to determine the extent of illegal drug passage into the U.S. For example, in March 2021, federal agents seized 550 kilos of crystal meth traveling from Mexico to Miami. A 2020 report from the DEA says that “methamphetamine has flooded into the United States across the southern border. Mexican transnational criminal organizations continue to supply most of the cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl smuggled into the country.”

DeSantis said that Biden’s loosened border regulations led to an increase of meth in Florida. However, the data for the time that Biden has been in office does not reflect an increase in meth seizure. 

Further, increased drug seizure does not necessarily mean increased drug availability. An increase in drug seizure might be due to improved technology. Florida drug overdoses soared during the pandemic, and it is also possible that even if there is an increase in meth availability in Florida it is due to increased demand following pandemic drug use.

Since DeSantis is correct that most of Florida’s meth comes from foreign sources, but it is impossible to know whether the increase in meth is because of Biden’s looser border policies (which seems counterintuitive since the drug data is from seizure at the border), we rate this claim as selective.