Mexico, China Unite in Denying Blame for America’s Fentanyl Crisis
The New York SunApr 10, 2023
The US Justice Dept. (DOJ) announced Friday that it had charged dozens of defendants throughout Mexico, China, and Guatemala in connection to the Sinaloa Cartel's fentanyl trafficking operation allegedly fueled by Chinese chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
Among the defendants are the three sons of former cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán: Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Sálazar, and Ovidio Guzmán López, who was arrested in Mexico in January.
As China and Mexico team up to deflect blame for the US fentanyl crisis, thousands of Americans are dying every day from the poppy seeds grown south of the border and the chemicals procured in China. Despite political blame games, the lethal drug is undeniably being developed in these two countries, and those governments must work to eradicate drug trafficking from within their borders.
Mexican cartels, in tandem with Chinese chemical companies, certainly deserve blame for the fentanyl pouring into the US right now. However, addiction to synthetic opioids began and continues to grow due to patients being over-prescribed opioid pills as pain medication. US doctors and pharmaceutical corporations started this mess, and that shouldn't be forgotten.