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[USAFacts]([link removed])
Is fentanyl smuggling on the rise?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is used as a pain reliever in medical s=
ituations. It is also sold and used illicitly. Fentanyl is about 50 times m=
ore potent than heroin and played a role in more than two-thirds of fatal a=
ccidental drug overdoses in 2023. Most [fentanyl]([link removed]
ers/how-much-fentanyl-is-seized-at-us-borders/country/united-states/) is ma=
nufactured abroad and smuggled into the US, according to the Drug Enforceme=
nt Administration.
[USAFacts]([link removed]
orders/country/united-states/)
- Between January and August 2025, authorities seized 6,873 pounds of fenta=
nyl at US borders, 52% less than the same period of 2024. In August, offici=
als confiscated 755 pounds, down 45% from the month prior.
- Most fentanyl is found and seized from vehicles driven by US citizens at =
official ports of entry, according to a 2023 Department of Homeland Securit=
y (DHS) report. Between January and August 2025, 78% of all confiscated fen=
tanyl was intercepted at official entry points along the nation=E2=80=99s S=
outhwest border.=C2=A0
[Amount of fentanyl seized from January to August 2025]([link removed]
g/answers/how-much-fentanyl-is-seized-at-us-borders/country/united-states/)
- When it comes to drug seizures, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) only =
reports on fentanyl and heroin, and the share of heroin smuggling has decli=
ned while fentanyl has risen. According to US Customs and Border Protection=
, fentanyl accounted for about 32% of opioid seizures by weight in 2019, wh=
ile heroin was 68%. By 2024, the shares had more than reversed, with fentan=
yl comprising 94%.
- DHS says the reported figures underrepresent the total amount of drugs tr=
afficked into the country since data on drug seizures at borders reflects o=
nly the quantities CBP discovers.
[Want to see more?]([link removed]
d-at-us-borders/country/united-states/)
[USAFacts]([link removed])
How much revenue do tariffs generate?=C2=A0
If your online shopping total feels higher lately, tariffs could be a facto=
r. The Trump administration has raised tariffs on goods from several countr=
ies this year. These customs duties, collected by CBP, are a revenue source=
for the federal government. [Here are the receipts]([link removed]
nswers/how-much-revenue-does-the-federal-government-collect-from-tariffs/co=
untry/united-states/).=C2=A0
[Monthly cumulative customs duties revenue]([link removed]
w-much-revenue-does-the-federal-government-collect-from-tariffs/country/uni=
ted-states/)
- As of August, fiscal year revenue from customs duties reached $165.2 bill=
ion, which was 136.7% higher than it was in the same month last year.=E2=80=
=AFIn comparison, the federal government collected $77.0 billion customs du=
ties (which includes tariffs) for all of FY 2024.=C2=A0
- In FY 2024, customs duties comprised 1.6% of total federal revenue. Despi=
te record-high revenue in recent years, customs duties have not exceeded 2%=
of federal revenue since 1980.=C2=A0
- Customs duties revenue, adjusted for inflation, remained between $27 bill=
ion and $47 billion from 1980 to 2018. It grew from FY 2018 to FY 2022, rea=
ching $108.2 billion.=C2=A0
- Tariffs and other customs duties were the largest source of federal reven=
ues in the 18th and 19th centuries before the establishment of income taxes=
.=C2=A0
- Learn how tariffs affect trade in [this video]([link removed]
the-facts/trade/) with USAFacts Founder Steve Ballmer.=C2=A0
[Want to see more?]([link removed]
federal-government-collect-from-tariffs/country/united-states/)
[USAFacts]([link removed]
overnment-collect-from-tariffs/country/united-states/)
[USAFacts]([link removed])
Data behind the news
The federal government is still shut down. Here are the [basics on this par=
ticular shutdown]([link removed]
at-to-know/). But there=E2=80=99s even more to know, including what happens=
to [government data during this time]([link removed]
appens-to-data-during-a-government-shutdown/) and [details on furloughs](ht=
tps://usafacts.org/articles/what-happens-during-government-shutdown-furloug=
h/). And, finally, this is ultimately about agreeing on a [federal budget](=
[link removed])=
.
Conflict between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and President Trump over=
a US attack on a boat in the Caribbean prompted President Trump to say tha=
t he would cut assistance to the country. [Here are numbers]([link removed]
ts.org/answers/how-much-foreign-aid-does-the-us-provide/countries/colombia/=
) on aid to Columbia. =C2=A0
Ready for a challenge? See if you can ace the [weekly fact quiz]([link removed]
afacts.org/weekly-fact-quiz/).=C2=A0
[USAFacts]([link removed])
One last fact
[How does adult literacy vary by state?]([link removed]
h-states-have-the-highest-and-lowest-adult-literacy-rates/)
The National Center for Education Statistics measures literacy on a scale o=
f 0, meaning functionally illiterate, to 500, meaning the ability to=E2=80=
=AFprocess dense texts and apply logical reasoning to draw conclusions. The=
national average literacy score is 263.5.
=C2=A0=C2=A0
Between 2017 and 2023, the average literacy score for US adults dropped 13 =
points. Dive into [your state and county=E2=80=99s data]([link removed]
rg/articles/which-states-have-the-highest-and-lowest-adult-literacy-rates/)=
.=C2=A0
[USAFacts]([link removed])
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