Vindman Recently Toured the DEA’s Clandestine Lab & Training Facility in Quantico, Where Agents Emphasized the Urgent Need for Action
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) and Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.-05) introduced the first bill in Congress to address the alarming rise of nitazenes — a class of synthetic opioids up to 40 times stronger than fentanyl and driving a new wave of overdose deaths across the United States.
This bipartisan legislation would permanently schedule the entire class of nitazenes under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, closing loopholes that traffickers exploit by making slight chemical changes to evade enforcement.
“Nitazenes are the next fentanyl — cheap to produce, easy to traffic, and devastatingly lethal. Too many families already have an empty seat at the table because of these synthetic drugs. I’m proud to work across the aisle to confront this crisis, protect our communities, and give law enforcement the tools to save lives,” said Vindman. “Last week, I visited the DEA’s Clandestine Lab and Training Facility at Quantico, where agents made clear how urgently this bill is needed. Right now, drug traffickers adapt faster than the law. By closing this loophole, we’re staying one step ahead to keep these deadly poisons out of our communities.”
“I’m proud to work with Rep. Vindman on the Nitazene Control Act to stop what could become the next major wave of the opioid crisis,” said Baumgartner. “Nitazenes are extremely powerful synthetic drugs, even stronger than fentanyl, and they’re already appearing in fake pills and street drugs across the country. We need to act now. This bill takes a smart, proactive approach by cracking down on these drugs before they spread further, while still allowing for legitimate medical research. It’s a targeted response to a dangerous and fast-moving threat.”
Nitazenes, first synthesized in the 1950s but never approved for medical use, have increasingly been detected in the U.S. drug supply, often mixed — without the user’s knowledge — into counterfeit pills, heroin, or other substances. Their extreme potency has led to clusters of overdose deaths across the United States.
Specifically, the Nitazene Control Act would:
· Permanently schedule the entire class of nitazenes under Schedule I based on their chemical structure and activity;
· Preemptively capture future analogs, preventing chemists from exploiting loopholes with minor chemical changes;
· List known compounds such as etonitazene, isotonitazene, and metonitazene;
· And provide research exemptions to support legitimate scientific and medical studies.
The DEA added nitazenes to its 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment, warning that their extreme potency, low cost, and their resistance to standard doses of naloxone complicates emergency response.
This legislation gives law enforcement a proactive tool to keep these substances from gaining the same foothold fentanyl has in the U.S.
BACKGROUND
Vindman has long been engaged in the fight against fentanyl — backing the HALT Fentanyl Act, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, and increased federal resources for law enforcement and treatment programs to address the opioid crisis.
The introduction of the Nitazene Control Act marks a major milestone in Congress’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and underscores the urgency of a bipartisan response to a fast-evolving public health crisis.
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