Biden’s DHS Chief Refuses To ‘Speculate’ Why China Is Fueling America’s Fentanyl Crisis
Jennie Taer on July 21, 2023
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas refused to “speculate” as to why China is fueling America’s fentanyl crisis during a Thursday podcast interview with Politico.
The precursor chemicals used by the cartels in Mexico to make illicit fentanyl that’s later smuggled into the U.S. come from China, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). However, Mayorkas refused to give any indication of China’s motives when it comes to producing the chemicals to make illicit fentanyl.
“Do you think that China is using this as leverage?,” Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza asked Mayorkas.
“I don’t want to speculate, but we are intent on making progress,” Mayorkas responded.
Fentanyl is largely responsible for the more than 100,000 overdose deaths that occurred in 2021. Mayorkas called the threat posed by illicit fentanyl an “extraordinary challenge” during his interview with Politico.
“We have to tackle this as a country, as a United country to address the supply side and the demand side. And we have been surging resources, Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security investigations to investigate the originate cartels that traffic in this death, to interdict the supplies and the finished product at our ports of entry and through other means,” Mayorkas said.
Mayorkas appeared at The Aspen Institute Security Forum Thursday, where he blamed China for fueling America’s fentanyl epidemic.
“China bears responsibility,” Mayorkas said. “We need their assistance in interdicting the chemicals and pill presses that are going in volumes that don’t reflect legitimate use.”
Meanwhile, Kemp Chester, assistant director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, revealed to a congressional committee July 12 that China has decided “not to engage” with the U.S. on counternarcotics efforts.
“As of late, over more than a year, for a variety of reasons, the PRC has decided not to engage with the United States on counter narcotics and a number of other issues. The United States would like that level of cooperation again,” Chester said.
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