China Is ‘Skirting’ Regulations To Produce Fentanyl To Poison Americans

A Daily Caller News Foundation reporter described Thursday how China is “skirting” regulations in order to bring dangerous drugs like fentanyl into the U.S.

Investigative reporter Jennie Taer told “Shamer” podcast host Seamus Coughlin that U.S. officials have been unable to cooperate with China on combating the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl into the country. A Biden administration official testified earlier this week that China has been unwilling to help prevent fentanyl from being trafficked across the border into the U.S.

“As much as the U.S. tried to push further against China and work with China on this issue, we are not seeing the cooperation with them and it’s really alarming because how can you stop this problem if you can’t go after the root of it, which is what they argue,” Taer said. “You can’t go after these strong chemicals that are integral to making the product that comes into the U.S. and poisons our children and their children. Honestly, it’s horrific,” Taer said.

Taer also said that China has modified the chemical profile of the drugs to “skirt” regulations and bring fentanyl into the U.S. She said it has become a “pipeline” that China can use to easily transport illicit drugs into the country.

“These companies and … individuals in China have moved the needle [and] have been able to skirt these regulations. What they do is … change an element of the chemical makeup, because they literally have chemists working on this; so they are changing a small part of the chemical makeup so it’s not technically the precursors that are regulated. It’s just like a slight difference but of course, it can still be used by the cartels to make the final product. So that’s what is happening, it’s like this pipeline that they’re able to constantly … move this stuff and get into the country in a very like quick, easy way,” Taer said.

Fentanyl was largely the source of nearly 107,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There has been an increase in fentanyl seizures along the southwest border, with over 19,000 pounds of fentanyl intercepted in the region since October of 2022, which has already surpassed the entire quantity seized in all of last year, according to Customs and Border Protection.