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U.S. Customs and Border Patrol photo by Jerry Glaser


** Fentanyl Seizures at the U.S.-Mexico Border
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One of the more common deceptions is what we call the "True, but ..." claim. The statement is true, but it's misleading because it lacks context.

Take, for example, Rep. Elise Stefanik's tweet about fentanyl seizures at the southern border.

Stefanik, who replaced Rep. Liz Cheney as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, tweeted: "Over 800 pounds of fentanyl were seized at our Southern Border in October. This is Biden’s Border Crisis."

It's true that more than 800 pounds of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, were seized at the border in October. But that's down slightly from more than 1,000 pounds in October 2020, when Donald Trump was president.

And, as FactCheck.org staff writer D'Angelo Gore reports, the vast majority of the fentanyl was confiscated at legal ports of entry -- not from people illegally crossing the border.

Some Republicans argue that an increase in fentanyl seized means that more of the drug is getting into the U.S. undetected. No one knows that for sure, because there are no comprehensive data on the total amount smuggled into the country.

However, if seizing more fentanyl before it gets to Americans does indicate a “border crisis,” the seizure data show the problem preceded Biden.

Stefanik isn't the only one to have posted tweets misleadingly linking fentanyl seizures to Biden's immigration policies. D'Angelo found that other GOP lawmakers and officials made similar claims on Twitter -- before, and ([link removed]) after ([link removed]) , his story was published.

For more, see "Analyzing Republican Attacks on Biden for Increase in Fentanyl Seized ([link removed]) ."
HOW WE KNOW
For his story ([link removed]) on drug seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border, D'Angelo used the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's online tool ([link removed]) that allows users to sort seizure data by drug type, area and enforcement agency, among other options. That's how D'Angelo was able to report that the vast majority of illicit fentanyl is seized at legal ports of entry -- not from individuals crossing the border illegally.
FEATURED FACT
South Africa was the first to report the omicron variant of COVID-19, and now it is contributing to research about it. In a Dec. 4 report on the early experience of likely omicron cases at the Steve Biko/Tshwane District Hospital Complex in Pretoria, the South African Medical Research Council says the overall in-hospital death rate was 6.6%, over the past two weeks, compared with 17% over the past 18 months. Read more ([link removed]) .
WORTHY OF NOTE
Our co-founder, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, is a co-author of a new book on conspiracy beliefs, "Creating Conspiracy Beliefs: How Our Thoughts Are Shaped ([link removed]) ."

The book, published by Cambridge University Press, explores "the role of anxiety and the fear-inducing content of messages that can predispose people to believe in conspiracies, and the relation between conservative media and conspiracy beliefs," the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which Jamieson directs, says ([link removed]) in a release on the book's publication.

In addition to Jamieson, the book is co-authored by Dolores Albarracín and Man-pui Sally Chan of the University of Pennsylvania and Julia Albarracín of Western Illinois University.
REPLY ALL

Reader: People Who Get Johnson & Johnson Vaccine at Elevated Risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Is this correct?

FactCheck.org Director Eugene Kiely: We answer your question, among other places, in our item “How safe are the vaccines? ([link removed]) ”

In that item, we write:

On July 13, the FDA added warnings ([link removed]) tofact sheets ([link removed]) on the J&J vaccine about an observed increased risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare disorder in which the immune system attacks nerve cells. Most people who develop GBS fully recover, although some have permanent nerve damage and the condition can be fatal.

As of Nov. 24 ([link removed]) , there have been around 268 preliminary reports of GBS after more than 16.4 million J&J vaccine doses that have been administered. Most cases have occurred around two weeks post-vaccination and in males, primarily those 50 years of age and older.

Our item covers reports of other adverse events, too. It is one of a series of questions ([link removed]) that we answer about COVID-19.


** Wrapping Up
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Here's what else we've got for you this week:
* "Post Makes Unfounded Claims About Omicron ‘Symptoms’ and COVID-19 Vaccines ([link removed]) ": Scientists are still learning about the omicron variant’s ability to spread or cause severe illness and the effectiveness of the current COVID-19 vaccines in fighting it. But a Facebook post misleadingly claims to list seven “symptoms” of the new variant, then suggests they are caused by the vaccines. The list actually refers to complications of COVID-19. Two of the listed conditions are rare adverse events associated with the vaccines.
* "Researchers Studying Whether Mouthwashes Can Reduce Viral Load, COVID-19 Transmission ([link removed]) ": In a Dec. 8 town hall meeting, Sen. Ron Johnson may have left a misleading impression in saying “standard gargle, mouthwash, has been proven to kill the coronavirus.” In the laboratory, some mouthwashes have been shown to block infectivity or suppress SARS-CoV-2, but studies involving people using mouthwash are not conclusive. Researchers are continuing to study the matter.
* "Post Comes to Premature Conclusions About COVID-19 Omicron Variant Severity ([link removed]) ": It’s not known yet whether the omicron variant causes more or less severe COVID-19 than the delta variant, although some preliminary indications suggest omicron infections might be milder. A Facebook post nevertheless claims, without evidence, that the “toxicity” of omicron is 5 times higher than delta and that its mortality rate is higher.
* "Biden’s Wage Claims: Mostly Malarkey ([link removed]) ": President Joe Biden has been saying “wages are up” and rising “faster than inflation.” While weekly paychecks have indeed gotten larger since he became president, they have not kept pace with inflation.
* "Pope Francis Continues to be Active, Despite Rumors of Declining Health ([link removed]) ": Unfounded speculation is spreading online that the pope is near death. There is no credible evidence that the pope, who remains active, is terminally ill. The viral claim is based on a single news story published Dec. 6 by Newsmax, which attributed the information to an unidentified Vatican source. No other publication has reported it.

Y lo que publicamos en español ([link removed]) (English versions are accessible in each story):
* "Publicación en Facebook difunde información falsa sobre ‘desintoxicación’ tras la vacuna ([link removed]) ": Ningún proceso de “desintoxicación” puede revertir la vacunación, dicen los expertos médicos. Sin embargo, un mensaje en las redes sociales difunde la falsa afirmación de que un baño con bórax puede “remover” la vacuna contra el COVID-19. El baño puede eliminar algunos fluidos del cuerpo, pero no las moléculas asociadas con las vacunas, nos dijo un toxicólogo.
* "La vicegobernadora electa de Virginia, Winsome Sears, distorsiona los hechos sobre las vacunas contra el COVID-19 ([link removed]) ": En una entrevista en el programa “State of the Union” de CNN, la vicegobernadora electa de Virginia, Winsome Sears, difundió información errónea sobre las vacunas contra el COVID-19 que hemos desmentido anteriormente.

Have a question about COVID-19 and the vaccines? Visit our SciCheck page ([link removed]) for answers. It's available in Spanish ([link removed]) , too.
Donate to Support Our Work ([link removed])

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