Fentanyl Smuggling: Health And Geopolitical Issue

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used in pain medication. It is mostly used for cancer patients and recoveries from surgery. It is a powerful drug. It is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more than morphine.

Its use has been diverted into an illicit version. It is cheaper and easier to produce than other drugs. The leads to greater profits for producers.

Manufacturing and trafficking

China and India are central to the supply chain of fentanyl. China is the main supplier of both finished fentanyl and precursor chemicals used in its illicit production. These chemicals are shipped by international mail and freight to:

• Mexico,

• India,

• U.S.,

• Canada.

China is attractive for illegal producers. It has thousands unregistered labs, and these chemicals are poorly controlled. Plus, Chinese companies often advertise and sell via dark web sites, encrypted messages, and crypto. China tried to tighten controls. But India has become a second source of chemicals.

The finished product is then produced and smuggled mostly from Mexico. Mexican cartels are the primary producers and exporters. The Sinaloa Cartel and CJNC (Jalisco New Generation Cartel) are the main suppliers. According to the DEA, the cartels use different means to hide their shipments. These include:

• Hiding the chemicals along legitimate goods,

• Mislabeling containers,

• Using front companies,

• Shipping through third party countries.

There is also a part of production in Canada. Indeed, its financial intelligence agency reported that criminal groups in the country were more and more involved. They import chemicals and lab equipment from China. The production is then done in illegal labs in Canada.

But out of all seizures, 96% were from the Mexican border and less than1% at the Canadian’s. The remaining 3% were from sea route or US checkpoints.

Consequences on security

The past decade, the fentanyl supply chain expanded. Law enforcements struggle to control it. This led to serious concerns for health security.

Fentanyl has become the main drug source of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. It is involved in almost 70% of all U.S. drug overdose deaths. Last year, more than 48000 Americans died due to drug mixtures with fentanyl in them. While it is lower than past years it remains alarming.

Canada also sees a rise in deaths due to illegal fentanyl.

In fact, a little dose (as little as 2 mg) can be fatal. Users often do not even know there are consuming fentanyl.

Indeed, it is often mixed with other illicit drugs. These including:

• Cocaine,

• Heroin,

• Meth.

Like for any drug, fentanyl also comes with violence and corruption. This is particularly the case in Mexico.

Geopolitical tensions

Fentanyl caused tensions between the U.S. and its neighbors. But also, with China. Its control has become a key issue in diplomatic negotiations.

The U.S. blames Canada and Mexico for failing to prevent the smuggle of fentanyl. Trump even said the harsh trade tariffs on Canada were due to that matter. He also threatened to do the same with Mexico. The country then deployed thousands of national guards along the border. Some in the U.S. want a military operation against the cartels. But Mexico refuses any kind of interference on its soil.  

The U.S. also blames China for lax regulation of its producers. China denies responsibility and blames the U.S. drug demand.

India is more open to joint actions. It already works with the DEA to track suspicious shipments.

What could be done?

Fully banning the chemicals seems hard. They also have legitimate industrial and pharmaceutical uses. But some measures can be taken to address the illicit traffic. These include:

• Tougher border screening,

• Targeting financial flows,

• Targeting dark web markets,

• Intelligence sharing on chemical shipments, labs, and trafficking routes,

• Drug education.

In fact, these measures apply for any type of drugs. And as for any type of drugs, regulation is tough. Plus, cartels would most likely find another substance eclipsing fentanyl. Another issue of concern is already on the market: nitazenes. This synthetic opioid is far more potent than fentanyl.  

Decoding geopolitics isn’t a job. It’s survival.

Joy