Oakland County sheriff urges state action on fentanyl, Xylazine and pill-press regulation

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard told the House Oversight Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Foreign Influence on Oct. 12 that fentanyl and new synthetic adulterants are the principal drivers of an unprecedented overdose crisis and that state action is needed to strengthen law enforcement and public-health responses.

Bouchard, introduced as Oakland County sheriff, said, “We’re not gonna arrest our way out of the drug tragedy that’s happening in America,” and urged a combined approach of prevention, treatment, diversion and targeted enforcement. He described fentanyl as the “primary driver” of overdose deaths and said synthetic analogs and veterinary tranquilizer xylazine are appearing in local casework.

Why it matters: Bouchard said nearly 100,000 Americans died of overdoses in 2023 and that local crime labs are seeing new components — including para-fluorofentanyl and xylazine — mixed into street drugs, sometimes even…