FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Contact: Tony Mangan, Communications Director, 605-773-6878 

Attorney General Jackley Praises Presidential Signing

of HALT Fentanyl Act

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley praises President Trump’s signing of the national HALT Fentanyl Act which the Attorney General says is a necessary step in dealing with the nation’s Fentanyl Crisis.

Attorney General Jackley was a guest Wednesday at the White House for the signing of the legislation which Congress passed last month. Attorney General Jackley had been one of 25 Attorneys General that urged passage of the legislation.

“Too many South Dakota families continue to suffer from the impacts of Fentanyl,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We need to aggressively address this crisis to save lives and better protect South Dakota communities.”

The HALT Fentanyl Act closes a loophole for copycat fentanyl which are lab-created drugs that are made to work around U.S. law. The copycats are often more harmful than prescription Fentanyl. The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently classifies illicit Fentanyl knockoffs, known as Fentanyl-related substances, as Schedule I substances.

So far this year, from January to June, there has been 140 Fentanyl arrests made in South Dakota and 2.221 pounds of Fentanyl seized. In all of 2024, there were 330 arrests made and 18.2 pounds seized.

Attorney General Jackley has been a strong advocate in the effort to fight Fentanyl at the state and local levels. He has increased strengthening the state penalties for Fentanyl possession.

The Attorney General also partnered with Emily’s Hope, along with the South Dakota Departments of Social Services and Health, to distribute 20,000 naloxone kits to prevent overdose deaths. The distribution of these kits is funded by the South Dakota Attorney General’s South Dakota Opioid Settlement and supplied by TEVA Pharmaceuticals.

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