The coalition sent a letter to House and Senate leadership supporting the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which would give the Drug Enforcement Administration authority to track manufacturing of the veterinary drug and prevent its diversion to illicit markets. The legislation advanced from the Senate Judiciary Committee last week with strong bipartisan support.
Xylazine, known on the streets as "tranq," is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer used for large animals including horses and deer that is not approved for human use. The drug does not respond to naloxone, the standard overdose reversal medication, making it significantly more lethal when combined with opioids like fentanyl. "Illicit xylazine is costing lives in Connecticut and across the country. It's being mixed with opioids, driving deadly overdoses, and making this crisis even harder to fight," Tong said.
The proposed federal classification would require manufacturers to report production data and allow DEA to monitor distribution channels more closely. Current lack of tracking makes it difficult for law enforcement to determine how the drug is being diverted from legitimate veterinary use to illegal drug markets, according to the attorney general coalition.
The multi-state effort reflects growing concern about xylazine's role in the ongoing opioid crisis, as the drug has been increasingly detected in fentanyl supplies across the country. The attorneys general argued that better information on the drug's development, distribution, and overdose deaths is essential for law enforcement to combat its spread.
The letter was co-led by attorneys general from Connecticut, New York, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The coalition includes attorneys general from 37 states plus American Samoa, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, representing both Republican and Democratic jurisdictions.
"Congress must act now to make xylazine a controlled substance and give law enforcement the tools to stop its spread and save lives," Tong said. The attorneys general urged immediate passage of the legislation to help address the opioid epidemic and prevent further overdose deaths from xylazine-laced drugs.