And, based on a quick glance at the armies of street addicts in our cities, we're losing...
“China and the Mexican Cartels’ Asymmetrical Warthrough the Illicit Fentanyl Trade” at a Hearing on
“Follow the Money: The CCP’s Business Model Fueling the Fentanyl Crisis”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic, fentanyl abuse and trafficking into the U.S. exploded. Transnational criminal organizations, like the Mexican cartels and their Chinese suppliers and money runners, have exploited U.S. drug abuse and weak border security to empower and enrich themselves through the illicit fentanyl trade. Drug overdoses killed over 107, 000 Americans in 2022, and fentanyl poisoning has become the leading cause of death of Americans 18-45 years of age. The fentanyl crisis is harming the health and welfare of Americans but is also consuming valuable government resources in addressing the supply and demand of the fentanyl trade. This is not only a problem for the U.S. and Canada; illicit fentanyl has been recently discovered in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. This testimony will examine the U.S. opioid epidemic and the illicit fentanyl crisis, describe how China and the Mexican drug cartels are waging an asymmetrical war against the U.S. through the illicit fentanyl drug trade and recommend specific measures the U.S. and partner countries can take to address the fentanyl crisis and counter Chinese and the Mexican cartels’ involvement in this drug trade that is poisoning our population.