Stop the 'Zombie Drug' Fentanyl... US Imposes Massive Sanctions on Chinese Companies and Individuals

US Treasury Adds Sanctions on 14 Companies and 14 Individuals
"Global Fentanyl Supply Chain Often Originates from China"

The U.S. administration under Joe Biden has added numerous Chinese companies and individuals involved in the manufacturing and supply of so-called "zombie drugs" such as fentanyl to its sanctions list.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on the 3rd (local time) in a press release that it had added 14 companies and 14 individuals to the sanctions list. Except for one company and two individuals based in Canada, the rest are Chinese organizations and individuals.

The Treasury stated that these entities were involved in the large-scale manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and MDAA (a type of drug) precursors. They were also involved in the smuggling of animal sedatives such as xylazine, which is mixed with fentanyl and used.

As a result of this action, the assets of those added to the sanctions list within the United States will be frozen, and transactions between them and U.S. persons will be prohibited. None of the sanctioned individuals have been arrested, and the U.S. Department of Justice stated that it did not collaborate with the Chinese government regarding this action.

Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General, said, "We know who is responsible for causing Americans to become addicted to fentanyl," and pointed out, "This global fentanyl supply chain that drives Americans to death often starts with chemical companies located in China."

The Biden administration has been strengthening its response as the damage caused by overdoses of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl has been rapidly increasing recently.

Of the approximately 110,000 deaths from drug overdoses last year, about two-thirds were caused by synthetic drugs. The so-called precursor substances, which are raw materials for synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, are mostly supplied from China, produced into products in Mexico, and then supplied to the United States.

Earlier, in May, the U.S. also imposed mass sanctions on Chinese organizations and individuals related to fentanyl. In June, when U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken visited China, he emphasized the need for greater cooperation with China to block fentanyl distribution.

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