Drug overdose deaths declined 20% in 2025 amid increased border crackdown

Drug overdose deaths in the US fell by greater than 20% final yr, in keeping with the newest knowledge from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on the nation’s porous borders.

“The autumn begins on the finish of the Biden administration, however the query is: Was this in anticipation of the arrival of a president who will sort out crime?” mentioned Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor of prison justice at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

Based on the info, which checked out deaths by August 2025, they have been rising as Trump entered his first time period however remained largely flat earlier than peaking and plateauing as President Joe Biden took workplace.

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Migrants stroll a path simply after crossing the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the US on the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Move, Texas on Saturday, September 28, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Publish through Getty Photos)

Whereas the CDC didn’t give a motive for the decline, but it surely coincides with stronger border enforcement.

“Securing the borders has rather a lot to do with the decline,” Giacalone informed Fox Information Digital. “Much less alternative for drug sellers and their mules to carry medicine into the nation.”

Information from the CDC exhibits overdose deaths within the US between January 2015 and August 2025. (CDC)

Amid intense criticism, the Biden administration ultimately ramped up border enforcement towards the tip of his time period, and the decline accelerated when Trump returned to workplace.

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Teams of migrants of various nationalities arrive within the Rio Grande, to cross it and give up to US authorities on February 19, 2024. (Christian Torres/Anadolu through Getty Photos)

Different elements could embody the elevated availability of antidotes for opioid overdoses, reminiscent of Narcan, however Giacalone mentioned he believes nothing has had a much bigger affect than “closing the floodgates on the border.”

“The jury remains to be out on the impact of blowing up drug boats, however I think about it additionally has a deterrent impact,” he added. “Deterrence is necessary in prison justice coverage.”

The CDC famous that the info is preliminary as a result of some causes of demise are nonetheless below investigation.

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Customs and Border Safety officers in Arizona seized 65 kilos of methamphetamine and 5 kilos of fentanyl tablets in a Jan. 14 arrest, in keeping with authorities. (CBP)

Louisiana, Florida, Virginia, New York, Vermont, Wyoming and the District of Columbia skilled a decline of greater than 30%.

Damaged down regionally, solely 5 states noticed no decline in overdose deaths.

North Dakota remained flat. Kansas and Hawaii each noticed will increase in deaths of lower than 2%. New Mexico rose about 3.5%.

President Donald Trump has taken a sequence of measures to crack down on the stream of fentanyl within the US since returning to the Oval Workplace in January 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos)

Solely Arizona noticed a considerable enhance – with deadly overdoses rising 17.75% between August 2024 and 2025.

That spike got here after authorities revealed in 2023 that fentanyl overdoses have been killing three folks a day in Maricopa County.

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Authorities in Grand Canyon State have been cracking down on fentanyl sellers in an effort to fight the pattern there.

Maricopa prosecutors have recognized fentanyl consciousness as considered one of their prime initiatives and are aggressively utilizing a brand new state regulation to go after sellers whose medicine are killing folks.