# Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act: Plain Language Summary

This bill allocates about $5.2 billion to strengthen border security and crack down on drug smuggling, particularly fentanyl. The money funds three main areas: hiring more border patrol agents and customs officers, buying advanced scanning technology to detect drugs at border crossings, and creating new criminal penalties for people who damage or bypass border barriers and controls.

The funding breaks down into several specific investments. The largest chunk—about $3.4 billion—goes toward hiring additional Border Patrol agents, customs officers, and support staff at the southern border. Another $950 million is earmarked for signing bonuses and retention bonuses to help keep border patrol workers on the job, plus mental health services for these employees. About $1.1 billion is dedicated to purchasing and upgrading scanning equipment at ports of entry, including X-ray machines and technology that can detect hidden drugs in vehicles. An additional $285 million funds outbound inspections to catch guns and money being smuggled out of the country to criminal organizations.

The bill also creates a new federal crime for deliberately destroying or damaging border barriers, fences, sensors, or cameras—or building tunnels and other structures to bypass them. If someone commits this crime with the intent to smuggle drugs, help criminal organizations, or violate other border laws, they can face up to five years in prison and fines. The bill requires government agencies to report back to Congress by March 2028 on how well these new programs are working and what additional equipment might be needed at different border crossings.