Former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives and candidate in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District Beth Harwell called on Congress to finish former President Donald Trump’s border wall.
Harwell said in a tweet, “Drugs & crime are pouring over our southern border as a result of the Biden Admin’s failed border policies. Open borders don’t work. For the safety of our border patrol agents & families, Congress must prioritize finishing Trump’s Wall & funding our law enforcement officers.”
Drugs & crime are pouring over our southern border as a result of the Biden Admin’s failed border policies. Open borders don’t work. For the safety of our border patrol agents & families, Congress must prioritize finishing Trump’s Wall & funding our law enforcement officers. #tn5
— Beth Harwell (@BethHarwellTN) May 11, 2022
Harwell added in a statement to The Tennessee Star, “The fentanyl that’s being smuggled across the southern border is coming into Tennessee and it’s hurting our families. It doesn’t matter what county you live in. Our law enforcement officers are doing a great job, but they need more support.”
The former speaker’s campaign told The Star that she was responding, at least in part, to reports of purple fentanyl being trafficked between the Tennessee and Kentucky borders.
In a statement, the South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force said recently:
Fentanyl and Methamphetamine dealers are using I-65 and backroads from Nashville, TN across Sumner and Robertson counties into Franklin, KY transporting a fentanyl/meth combination that is purple in color. Several individuals from Tennessee and Kentucky have recently been indicted in Franklin, Kentucky for Engaging in Organized Crime and Trafficking:
Shelby Simmons (37 of Franklin, Ky) Simmons was selling the purple fentanyl as well as methamphetamine. Agents identified several other individuals that were involved in trafficking and importing fentanyl into Simpson County. The individuals were identified as Jonathan Vaughn (32 of Franklin), Halbert Warden (51 of Franklin), Gary Denning (67 of Franklin), Pamela Sanabria (63 of Westmoreland, TN), and Lloyd Fields (36 of Russellville).
The task force added, “Agencies across Tennessee have contacted South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force reporting they have seen this purple fentanyl in their areas. This substance is very dangerous. If anyone comes across a substance like this please call your local law enforcement agency and report it. Individuals are also pressing fentanyl into a pill form to look like pain killers and anxiety medications.”
On Monday, WKRN reported that two Williamson County deputies were exposed to purple fentanyl and had to be taken to the hospital.
The deputies were exposed when they were searching a suspect who had outstanding warrants who was heading to court. The deputies have reportedly recovered from their exposure.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “Beth Harwell” by Beth Harwell.
