China & Fentanyl: Why the U.S. Must Open a Second Front

It is time for a maximum pressure campaign targeting the Chinese entities fueling America’s fentanyl epidemic.

On October 6, the Treasury Department announced a new round of sanctions on a Mexican fentanyl network supporting the Sinaloa Cartel. This economic strike against providers of fentanyl is an important part of the Trump administration’s growing pressure on Mexican drug cartels, which has already targeted cartel-associated banks in Mexico and alleged traffickers in the southern Caribbean. While significant, these sanctions will do little to stem the flow of drugs and stop the flood of deaths on their own. To make real progress, the administration must open a second front in the war on fentanyl: China.

About the Author

Josh Birenbaum

Josh Birenbaum is the deputy director of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

SS

About the Author

Susan Soh

Susan Soh is a research associate at the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Featured Tags

It is time for a maximum pressure campaign targeting the Chinese entities fueling America’s fentanyl epidemic.

On October 6, the Treasury Department announced a new round of sanctions on a Mexican fentanyl network supporting the Sinaloa Cartel. This economic strike against providers of fentanyl is an important part of the Trump administration’s growing pressure on Mexican drug cartels, which has already targeted cartel-associated banks in Mexico and alleged traffickers in the southern Caribbean. While significant, these sanctions will do little to stem the flow of drugs and stop the flood of deaths on their own. To make real progress, the administration must open a second front in the war on fentanyl: China.