China Still Main Source of Fentanyl in US as Chinese Traffickers Evolve Tactics

Despite the Chinese regime banning fentanyl and its analogues in 2019, China remains the primary source of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances being trafficked into the United States, according to a new report by a U.S. congressional advisory body.

Chinese traffickers have found sophisticated ways to circumvent these regulations, said an Aug. 24 U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission report.

These evasion efforts have been enabled by the Chinese regime's "Weak supervision and regulation" of its chemical industry, the report said.

Since Beijing's ban on fentanyl in 2019, there has been a decline in the amount of finished fentanyl shipped directly from China-typically by mail-into the country, the report said, but illicit fentanyl has remained widely available in the United States.

To evade authorities, Chinese traffickers have pivoted their operations to focus mainly on producing and shipping chemical precursors to Mexico, the USCC said, citing the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

During the investigation of the Gan case, the DEA did not receive any support from its Chinese counterpart, despite multiple informal requests for assistance, the report said.

In 2019, the Chinese narcotics official admitted that cooperation between China and the United States on investigating and prosecuting fentanyl was "Extremely limited."

https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-still-main-source-of-fentanyl-in-us-as-chinese-traffickers-evolve-tactics-report_3963470.html