Beijing never curbed the production of fentanyl but encouraged it, investigative journalist says
Fentanyl overdose has become the leading cause of death for young Americans since 2019. U.S. authorities say that China remains the primary source of the precursor chemicals, which are then processed and manufactured into synthetic opioids by Mexican drug cartels to bring into the United States.
In response to the rising threat of illicit fentanyl, bipartisan lawmakers last year introduced the “End Fentanyl Act,” a bill intended to strengthen border enforcement in combatting the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
This bill would require “U.S. Customs and Border Protection to review and update, as necessary, manuals and policies related to inspections at ports of entry to ensure the uniformity of inspection practices to effectively detect illegal activity along the border, such as the smuggling of drugs and humans.”
The Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act was introduced by Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in June 2022 with bipartisan colleagues.
On Dec. 14, 2022, it unanimously passed the Senate and headed to the House of Representatives, where Congressmen Michael Guest (R-Miss., 3rd District) and David Trone (D-Md., 6th District) introduced the House companion legislation.
“Far too many Americans have lost loved ones to opioid overdoses, and millions more are currently suffering from substance use disorder. Working together, we must do everything we can to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl into our communities,” Trone said on Dec. 13, 2022.
Trone said “99 percent of the fentanyl is coming from precursor drugs from China, and then it’s manufactured by two cartels, the Jalisco and Sinaloa Cartels, and they’re the ones that are bringing it across the border,” adding that it’s important to stop it from the source.
By Anne Zhang and Sean Tseng
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