US Treasury Sanctions Chinese Nationals Related to Opioid Painkiller Fentanyl

Issues Raised Regarding Drug Manufacturing and Distribution Involving Chinese Nationals

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Chinese individuals involved in the smuggling of the opioid painkiller 'Fentanyl' into the United States.

On the 25th (local time), the U.S. Treasury Department announced in a statement that the Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated Tao Tao Zhang and his Hong Kong-based company, Allyrise Technology Group, for sanctions due to their transportation of fentanyl into the U.S.

As a result of this action, their assets within the United States have been frozen, and U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting transactions with them.

Fentanyl is an opioid painkiller known to be mass-produced in China and has become a social issue due to its distribution within the United States. It is reported that 70,000 to 80,000 deaths in the Americas are attributed to fentanyl.

According to the Treasury Department, Tao Tao Zhang transported fentanyl to the U.S. by disguising the contents through cargo shipping services. Upon arrival in the U.S., distribution networks converted 1 kg of fentanyl into up to 1 million counterfeit pharmaceuticals, which were then illegally sold within the country.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also criticized China in relation to this measure. Secretary Pompeo stated, "The Treasury Department has sanctioned Tao Tao Zhang, a Chinese national who is one of the world's most significant drug traffickers," adding, "Today's action is part of the government's ongoing efforts to combat the illegal production and trafficking of Chinese fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that have claimed hundreds of thousands of American lives."

Secretary Pompeo further emphasized, "The United States continues to cooperate with China to prevent drug trafficking organizations from purchasing illegal chemical substances in China to manufacture fentanyl and smuggle finished products into the U.S., and urges the Chinese government to accelerate regulatory efforts in the chemical industry to prevent drug manufacturing materials from flowing into the black market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.