On Wednesday, a senior official from President Joe Biden’s administration testified before a panel and blasted China for failing to help the United States battle the smuggling of illicit fentanyl across the border.
The United States and China Economic and Security Commission has released a study claiming that Mexican drug gangs are importing fentanyl into the United States after it has been illegally produced in China. White House assistant director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Kemp Chester testified at a House subcommittee hearing titled “Fighting the Flow of Fentanyl from the Southwest Border” that China was, at first, cooperative with America’s efforts to clamp down on fentanyl produced, but that they have recently chosen to “not engage” on the issue.
California Democrat and committee ranking member Lou Correa asked if China helped us over the past year or two. He inquired if he had seen that level of cooperation.
Chester’s testimony before the committee suggests that the United States would welcome a return to a similar level of cooperation.
The People’s Republic of China has decided not to interact with the United States on anti-drug and other concerns for over a year, and there are several reasons for this.
According to his White House bio, Chester coordinates with other departments to reduce the availability of heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs in the United States by interrupting distribution channels. The purpose of this is to lessen the availability of these drugs. He works with the White House and the National Security Council to maintain these connections.
Correa said, expressing his bewilderment, that once you stop one thing, another one explodes.
There has been a rise in the number of drug busts in recent weeks.
The California Border Patrol seized enough fentanyl in June to kill two million people. The Northern Border Patrol seized 1,500 pounds of illegal substances between October 2022 and February 2023, indicating an increase in drug smuggling activity. Compared to the 1,300 pounds of narcotics confiscated in FY2022, this quantity represents a significant increase.
