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I suspect the vast majority of fentanyl comes in at manned border crossings.  I can't imagine individuals carrying much fentanyl across the desert to get into the US, I'm sure a few do, but I suspect the majority comes in as disguised cargo in trucks.

It's also relatively easy to make, given the right precursors, in "basement labs" inside the US.  And it's pretty easy for small boats to bring in large amounts secretively.

CBP: America’s Front Line Against Fentanyl | U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Fentanyl, its precursors and equipment – such as pill presses – used to make the drug often times enters the U.S. through common trade pathways, such as air cargo and express courier. That helps add to the complexity of the threat. These shipments can be declared as legitimate goods because some do have a legitimate purpose, making it crucial to identify the suspect shipments through analysis early on. This is why CBP’s Office of Trade plays a key role in the fight.
Paul Taylor, an Office of Trade specialist, inspects packages at the JFK Mail Facility in New York during Operation Bitter Pill, a special operation that occurs every year at major international mail facilities designed to disrupt, seize, and gather information on violative shippers of counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs. Photo by Jesse Andrews
“We’re looking at supply chain vulnerabilities, different logistic operators, and bringing different perspectives to the same look, as well as bringing more tools to enable the analyses and research,” said Erik Grotz, the director of the office’s Trade Intelligence Division, citing, for example, the tools the Office of Trade uses to stop products being made by forced labor from coming into the U.S. “We’re bringing as many capabilities as we can to bear against the problem set.”

Some people get lucky and also just work hard.

My BIL for example. He has a BA in English, but has worked his way up in the IT world, such that he is a regional manager for a large form and lives in the Marina Del Mar area of LA.

So, it can be done. He might be a rare case though.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/632322/us-national-school-lunch-program-federal-costs-timeline/#:~:text=In%20the%20fiscal%20year%20of,around%207.9%20billion%20U.S.%20dollars.

$28.7 Billion for school lunches in 2022.


https://www.npr.org/2020/01/19/797319968/-11-billion-and-counting-trumps-border-wall-would-be-the-world-s-most-costly

$11 Billion in total for wall construction.

$28.7 > $11

A few additional points:

• This comparison is ridiculously unfair because the $28.7 is in one year while the $11 Billion is in total.
• As I've said repeatedly, border security should be fixed EVEN if we are going to allow more-or-less unlimited immigration because we should still screen border crossers and check for:
• Around 75,000 Americans die every year from Fentanyl. The wall isn't just about wages, and saving American lives from immigrant criminals and immigrant terrorists, it is also about saving American lives from Fentanyl.

The US Deficit will be over $1.9 Trillion this year:
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/cbo-projects-fy-2024-us-deficit-jump-19-trln-amid-higher-outlays-2024-06-18/#:~:text=WASHINGTON%2C%20June%2018%20(Reuters),increase%20over%20its%20previous%20forecast.


The US, much like the guy selling $12 hammers for $10 isn't making up losses on volume.

"Unfair" he says, as he uses a figure for the entire school lunch program. In any event, probably not many kids eating lunch who are also smuggling in fentanyl. 

Also, what are the percentage of people who use fentanyl who are also on welfare?

Someone told me a State Farm agent has to have a college degree in anything.

wasn't a requirement back in the late 90s
I was offered a job

One of my best friends from high school and college, was a groomsman in my wedding, barely scraped into college due to his ability to play trumpet, and graduated with a music performance degree.

But during college he worked for a local grocery store and helped them set up all of their initial computer systems back before computers were ubiquitous, he just had a knack for it.  He ended up becoming an IT executive in the corporate office for that large and popular Texas grocery store chain called H-E-B, and then after that became an IT expert for the CIA.

Now he works as a VP in business development for a large defense contractor, he's based in DC but has several homes around the country.

One of my best friends from high school and college, was a groomsman in my wedding, barely scraped into college due to his ability to play trumpet, and graduated with a music performance degree.

But during college he worked for a local grocery store and helped them set up all of their initial computer systems back before computers were ubiquitous, he just had a knack for it.  He ended up becoming an IT executive in the corporate office for that large and popular Texas grocery store chain called H-E-B, and then after that became an IT expert for the CIA.

Now he works as a VP in business development for a large defense contractor, he's based in DC but has several homes around the country.

Exactly my point.  So many college grads here, whether they are pure STEM or near STEM, that can fill the jobs we already have.  My very large multi-national company recruits a lot of people who I'm not impressed with from other countries to do work here that IMO could be done with almost any old college grad, or anybody with a good bit of technical knowledge.  Nowadays, most engineers are just spreadsheet manipulators anyways.  I know I am a lot of days.  

Exactly my point.  So many college grads here, whether they are pure STEM or near STEM, that can fill the jobs we already have.  My very large multi-national company recruits a lot of people who I'm not impressed with from other countries to do work here that IMO could be done with almost any old college grad, or anybody with a good bit of technical knowledge.  Nowadays, most engineers are just spreadsheet manipulators anyways.  I know I am a lot of days. 

I'm not saying it can't be done.

It works both ways.

The company has to be willing to train/educate and the kid has to be willing to be trained/educated. And that kid cannot expect to be compensated the same as the people with experience. Therein lies a major disconnect.

I've interviewed a lot of kids in my day. These days, they want to come right in and sit in my chair.

(Be careful what you wish for, kiddo. My chair is not an easy place to sit.)