U.S. authorities have imposed sanctions and launched indictments against numerous Chinese companies and individuals that it claims are involved in the illegal trade of fentanyl.
The sanctions and charges, which were brought on by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Florida as well as the Federal Treasury Department on October 3, were strongly condemned by China, according to Al Jazeera.
The U.S. claims that Chinese executives and companies advertised, manufactured and distributed the precursor chemicals used to make synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
Prosecutors have also accused some Chinese chemical manufacturers of using fake labels and other mechanisms when shipping illegal substances to avoid detection by U.S. regulators. Some drug shipments even went to Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, prosecutors said.
“We are here today to deliver a message on behalf of the United States government. We know who is responsible for poisoning the American people with fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China.”
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C., said the Chinese government has taken a firm stand on counter-narcotic measures. He also accused the U.S. of “scapegoating” China while undermining the country’s anti-drug cooperation initiatives with the U.S.
Over 100,000 people died from drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2022 according to the Centers for Disease Control. An estimated 82,998 of those deaths involved opioids.
