DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) helped introduce legislation to hold China accountable for its role in the fentanyl crisis. The Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act, co-led by U.S. Representatives Andy Barr (KY-06) and Greg Murphy (NC-03), would hold Chinese entities accountable for producing, selling, financing, or transporting synthetic opioids.
“Fentanyl is the number one killer of Americans from my daughter’s age to my age. Something has to change,” said Rep. Nunn. “Securing the border is the first step to stopping the scourge of fentanyl pouring into our communities. But we must also cut off the cartel’s supply at its source. That starts with holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable for their role as the primary manufacturer, supplier, and launderer of these illicit drugs worldwide.”
Illicit fentanyl is pouring over our Southern Border. In FY23 alone, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized more than 20,000 pounds of fentanyl coming across the Southwest Border—enough to kill over 4.6 billion people. In 2020, 4,800 pounds of illicit fentanyl were seized by CBP. In 2022,14,700 pounds of illicit fentanyl were seized, a 200% increase in just two years.
“The Chinese Communist Party plays a prominent role in every step of the fentanyl crisis, from producing precursor chemicals to laundering cartel profits that fund the illegal trafficking into the United States,” said Rep. Barr. “The Trump Administration is actively working to regain control of our southern border, following the failed policies of President Biden and Border Czar Kamala Harris. I look forward to collaborating with them to ensure our communities are protected from this devastating epidemic.”
In 2019, the Chinese banned fentanyl exports to the U.S. However, this move was not enough to root out China’s role in the current fentanyl crisis. China is still a primary source of chemical precursors used to synthesize fentanyl and other novel synthetic opioids. Much of this illicit fentanyl made in Mexican labs is then smuggled into the U.S. across our open and unenforced Southern Border, making its way into communities and killing Americans.
“The tragic opioid epidemic in America is fueled by fentanyl shipped over from China and smuggled into our communities through Mexico,” said Rep. Murphy. We cannot allow this devastation to continue and must stand up to the Chinese Communist Party. I’m proud to work with my friend and colleague, Congressman Andy Barr, on the Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act to sanction Chinese entities as foreign opioid traffickers for their intentional malice in flooding America with illicit fentanyl.”
The Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act would amend the Fentanyl Sanctions Act by enabling the U.S. government to impose sanctions on Chinese individuals and organizations involved in the production, sale, financing, or transportation of synthetic opioids or their precursor chemicals. Entities that fail to cooperate with U.S. counternarcotics efforts or neglect to implement adequate “know-your-customer” procedures would be designated as foreign opioid traffickers.
Text of the bill can be found here.
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