US sanctions Chinese firms in crackdown on fentanyl supply chain

Two women who described using drugs, including fentanyl. One wears sunglasses and a blue t-shirt and is holding a cigarette. The other wears sunglasses, a long black coat, and a red bandana.

Christy Cooney

NBC News

The US has imposed sanctions on 25 Chinese companies and people who are reportedly involved in the production of the chemicals used to make fentanyl.

A powerful opioid called fentanyl, which is used as a drug or sedative, is crucial to the continuous US drug crisis.

The ring” usually starts with biochemical companies in China ,” according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The Reuters reports firm asked for comment, but the Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond right away.

There was” no such thing as illegal prostitution of morphine” between China and Mexico, according to a Chinese foreign ministry representative in April.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president of Mexico, requested assistance from the Chinese government in halting the alleged entry of fentanyl and its predecessors into his nation.

The US government accuses Mexican drug gangs of providing fentanyl to clients all over the country.

Doctors may lawfully prescribe fentanyl, but a sharp increase in opioid addiction in the US in recent years has resulted in an increase in overdoses and illegal production.

The medicine was connected to a report 109, 680 deaths in 2022.

A” China-based system accountable for the manufacturing and distribution” of fentanyl precursors and a number of other illegal drugs was the target of sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department.

According to authorities, businesses in the fentanyl supply chain frequently mislead customers and use fake addresses to avoid having their items found by law enforcement.

According to the government, 12 companies and 13 people based in China, as well as two organizations and one person in Canada, are among those impacted by the restrictions.

The sanctions will prevent Americans from dealing with the entities’ US goods by freezing them.

Merrick Garland and other top officials are scheduled to visit Mexico for meetings to discuss how to stop the flow of illegal drugs.

” We know who is to blame for fentanyl poisoning the American people ,” Mr. Garland told reporters.

We are aware that the cartels’ leaders, drug traffickers, money launderers, covert test operators, security forces, weapons suppliers, and chemical suppliers are all part of this system.

And we are aware that this world opioid supply chain frequently begins with Chinese chemical companies and ends with American deaths.

Eight Chinese businesses and 12 of their employees are accused of producing fentanyl and methamphetamine, dispersing opioids, and selling products containing precursor chemicals, according to unsealed indictments released by the judge office.

No, according to Mr. Garland, no one has been detained, and the Chinese government did not cooperate with US government on the studies.

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