41 Attorneys General Urge Congress to Crack Down on Illicit Xylazine

‘The United States has seen a rise in xylazine being used to cut fentanyl and heroin and distributed as a recreational drug,’ Arkansas attorney general said.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin speaks at a news conference in downtown Little Rock, Ark., on Sept. 30, 2024. AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo

A bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general is urging Congress to pass legislation to combat the abuse of xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer used as an adulterant that makes fentanyl even more lethal.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced on April 1 that the attorneys general reached out in a March 31 letter to congressional leadership to encourage lawmakers to approve the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, legislation introduced in the Senate (S.545) and the House (H.R.1266) in February 2025. Currently, more than 100 lawmakers from both parties have signed on as co-sponsors.

If enacted, the legislation would make xylazine, also known as “tranq” and the “zombie drug,” a Schedule III controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act.

“In recent years, the United States has seen a rise in xylazine being used to cut fentanyl and heroin and distributed as a recreational drug,” Griffin said in a statement. “The addition of xylazine, which is a high-powered, Narcan-resistant tranquilizer, to the already deadly fentanyl is increasing the number of fatal overdoses.”

Griffin emphasized that the legislation would not affect veterinarians, farmers, or ranchers in their legitimate use of the drug.

“This threat is real. Federal authorities are seeing xylazine trafficked into the United States by Mexican cartels, and it’s paired with fentanyl coming from China. Criminals and foreign adversaries are targeting Americans with this combination of drugs, and we need to do everything in our power to stop them,” Griffin said.

In April 2025, customs and border officials at a Chicago air cargo facility seized shipments from China containing 18 pounds of xylazine, which were originally headed to residences in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Four China-based companies were indicted in September 2025 on trafficking-related charges for allegedly facilitating the flow of illicit cutting agents—including xylazine—from China. Among them, Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical was simultaneously sanctioned by the Treasury Department.

In November 2024, a Chinese chemical company based in central China’s Wuhan city, along with its director and three employees, was indicted in Los Angeles on charges of selling fentanyl precursor chemicals and xylazine.

The attorneys general said in the letter that many states have already taken action to regulate xylazine under their controlled substances laws, although the classifications differ from state to state.

“We agree that Congress must act quickly to classify the illicit use of xylazine under Schedule III of the federal Controlled Substances Act,” the letter reads. “The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act provides critical tools that will enable the [Drug Enforcement Administration] to track its manufacturing, prevent diversion, and mandate analysis and reporting on the illicit use of xylazine.”

The letter is co-led by Griffin, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

“Illicit xylazine is costing lives in Connecticut and across the country,” Tong said in a statement on April 1. “It’s being mixed with opioids, driving deadly overdoses, and making this crisis even harder to fight. Congress must act now to make xylazine a controlled substance and give law enforcement the tools to stop its spread and save lives.”

Also signatories on the letter are attorneys general from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

On March 26, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the legislation, which was led by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), following a 19–3 vote.

In separate statements following the vote, Grassley and Cortez Masto said they are working to advance the legislation into law.

Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and August Pfluger (R-Texas) are leading the House legislation.

In an X post on April 3, Panetta said he was “proud to receive the support” from the attorneys general for what he called a “critical legislation.”

“It is time to pass this bill and protect our communities from illicit xylazine while preserving its critical use in agriculture,” Panetta wrote.