H.R. 7184, the Preventing Rogue Equipment for Synthetic Substances (PRESS) Act

Bottom Line Up Front

H.R. 7184, the Preventing Rogue Equipment for Synthetic Substances (PRESS) Act, targets a critical gap in America’s fight against the fentanyl crisis by criminalizing the importation and distribution of pill press machines and related equipment used by foreign drug traffickers to mass-produce deadly counterfeit narcotics. The bill expands U.S. jurisdiction to hold foreign actors accountable, establishes criminal penalties of up to 8 years for unlawful manufacturing or distribution of pill presses (or up to 15 years for large-scale operations), and strengthens federal law enforcement’s ability to disrupt the supply chain that enables cartels to flood American communities with illicit fentanyl pills.

Click here to read the full legislative text and view the list of cosponsors.

Why It Matters

• The fentanyl crisis is not an accident—it is a manufactured threat engineered by cartels and criminal networks that exploit loopholes in U.S. law to import the equipment necessary for mass-producing deadly counterfeit pills. The PRESS Act closes these critical gaps by targeting the pill press machines, tableting equipment, and encapsulating devices that enable drug traffickers to operate industrial-scale operations flooding American communities with illicit narcotics.
• Current federal law lacks sufficient extraterritorial jurisdiction to prosecute foreign actors who manufacture or distribute pill press equipment intended for use in producing drugs that will be illegally imported into the United States. This legislation expands U.S. legal authority to hold these foreign traffickers accountable, ensuring that America can strike at every link in the supply chain—from production to distribution.
• The bill establishes meaningful criminal penalties calibrated to the scale of the offense: up to 8 years imprisonment for the unlawful manufacturing or distribution of pill presses and related equipment, and up to 15 years for large-scale operations involving more than 1,000 kilograms of chemicals or 100 machines. These penalties send a clear message to cartels that America will aggressively prosecute those who enable the fentanyl trade.
• By criminalizing the possession, manufacture, and distribution of pill press equipment with the intent to produce controlled substances for illegal importation, the PRESS Act disrupts the cartels’ business model at its foundation. Shutting down access to the machinery required for mass production forces traffickers to choose between accepting dramatically reduced production capacity or facing severe federal prosecution.

Congressional Press Releases

Read statements from members of Congress who are supporting this legislation:

• → Rep. Addison McDowell (NC-06)