Implications For Preventing Crypto Use In The Fentanyl Trade
Fentanyl, a synthetic opiate, is 50 times more potent than heroin and has caused the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, killing a record 109,680 people in 2022 alone. Doctors expanded the use of opioids against chronic pain, such as backache, in the false belief that the risks of addiction were extremely low. By the time OxyContin was reformulated in 2010 to make it harder to abuse, Mexican traffickers were peddling cheap heroin sent to addicts’ doorsteps.
Understanding the Risks of Purchasing Fentanyl from China
The process of how to buy fentanyl from China poses numerous legal and health risks. It is crucial to acknowledge that fentanyl is a powerful opioid, significantly stronger than morphine or heroin, and its misuse can lead to severe consequences, including overdose and death.
On behalf of Jinhu Minsheng, Shen Xingbiao has made efforts to sell pill press machines and a pill die in exchange for funds in virtual currency. Greater bilateral cooperation allows the two countries to exchange information about drugs more easily, Hua said. BEIJING — The U.S. and China had a “productive” first day of talks in Beijing about the fentanyl crisis, Jennifer Daskal, a deputy homeland security advisor, told NBC News’ Janis Mackey Frayer in an exclusive interview Tuesday. Read about some of the actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to address the overdose and opioid epidemic HERE.
Mexican drug cartels are expanding their role into crimes against nature, and they are also increasingly infiltrating and seeking to dominate a variety of legal economies in Mexico, including fisheries, logging, and agriculture and extorting an even wider array of legal economies. For example, Mexican organized crime groups, especially the Sinaloa Cartel, seek to monopolize both legal and illegal fisheries along the entire vertical supply chain. Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, two indictments were unsealed that detail criminal conspiracies by companies and employees based in China to manufacture and distribute fentanyl in the United States. This prosecution is among the first ever in the United States to charge Chinese chemical manufacturing companies with supplying precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl to the United States.
An alleged trafficker with Sinaloa ties, Francisco Quiroz-Zamora, is accused in an indictment of coordinating the loads from his home in San José del Cabo in Baja California Sur. As that case illustrates, along with the massive amount of fentanyl seizures being reported across the U.S., most of the fentanyl that crosses here moves on. It was Cesar Daleo, a former Border Patrol agent living in condo he’d bought in Mexico, authorities said. He placed the package in his trunk, then headed south on Interstate 5 to the border. He was pulled over just before he drove into Mexico, according to court records.
“Start by passing my supplemental budget request for national security priorities, including significant resources to help stop the flow of fentanyl into our country as well as funds to strengthen support services for people struggling with fentanyl,” he said. Two days later, Biden sat down with the Mexican president with migration and fentanyl – two issues that are interconnected – top of mind. Human smuggling over the border is a part of cartel operations that also include drug trafficking into the U.S. Mexico and China are the primary sources for synthetic fentanyl trafficked into the U.S. Nearly all the chemicals needed to make it come from China, and the drugs are then mass-produced in Mexico and trafficked into the U.S. Broad controls on fentanyl may have unintended consequences, shaping the drug market by pushing the development of chemicals that fall outside of the law.
Beijing rarely acts against the top echelons of Chinese criminal syndicates unless they specifically contradict a narrow set of interests of the Chinese Government. Chinese criminal networks provide a variety of services to Chinese legal business enterprises, including those connected to government officials and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Certainly, the two principal backers of supply to the United States, the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación are deeply involved in the variety of other illegal economies. So a whole-of-government approach against these organizations, not against just the specific substance, would perhaps further advance U.S. policy.
But unlike prescription pain relievers, the vast majority of synthetic opioid overdoses involve illicit imports from China and Mexico. Before being discovered by drug dealers, carfentanil and substances like it were viewed as chemical weapons. One of the most powerful opioids in circulation, carfentanil is so deadly that an amount smaller than a poppy seed can kill a person.
Fentanyl shippers will often mislabel the package as an extra layer of caution and forward the package through another country, such as Tonga, to avoid U.S. suspicion, federal authorities said. The nature of fentanyl — extremely potent in small doses when pure — makes it ideal to move through the mail, keeping packages small and inconspicuous. The pipeline from China to the U.S. is connected by an online marketplace that is moving commerce deeper underground on the dark web, where drug purchases can be made with anonymity. In February, the DEA took a swing at the whole fentanyl family by controlling any substance with a similar chemical makeup. “Obviously, there’s lots of money to be made in this,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Hobson, who prosecutes fentanyl traffickers in San Diego. Small amounts of pure fentanyl are also commonly mixed with the same kinds of fillers and pressed into pills.
Legal Implications
Buying fentanyl illegally can result in serious legal repercussions:
- Possession of fentanyl without a prescription is illegal in many countries.
- Convictions can lead to heavy fines and imprisonment.
- Importing controlled substances can result in additional charges.
Health Risks
Fentanyl has a high potential for addiction and overdose. Users should consider the following:
- Even small doses can be lethal.
- It is often mixed with other substances, increasing the risk of unintentional overdose.
- Dependence can develop quickly, leading to withdrawal symptoms if usage is abruptly stopped.
Alternative Solutions
- This creates a sizeable business model for the drug ring and a perfect storm for users who can easily get addicted to this lethal drug.
- Vendor clusters with Bitcoin payments to fentanyl suppliers have also been identified interacting with dark web marketplaces that have since gone offline, such as Silk Road and Hydra.
- Today, Director of National Drug Control Policy James Carroll released the following statement regarding China’s announcement that it is following through on its pledge to add fentanyl to the country’s list of controlled substances, effective May 1.
- We still cannot get cooperation from major Internet companies, service providers, to be able to get into those devices that we know [drug cartels] are utilizing,” the DEA’s Donahue said.
- That is why President Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy makes sanctions and other efforts to disrupt and dismantle these international criminal organizations a priority.
Instead of seeking illicit substances, consider these alternatives:
- Consult a medical professional for legitimate pain management.
- Explore alternative therapies, such as physical or cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Research non-opioid pain relief options that could be effective and safer.
FAQs
Can fentanyl be legally purchased for medical use?
Yes, fentanyl can be prescribed by licensed medical professionals for legitimate medical conditions.
What should I do if I or someone I know is struggling with opioid addiction?
Seek professional help from addiction specialists or local support groups. Early intervention can lead to better outcomes.
How can I recognize an overdose?
Signs of an overdose may include slow or no breathing, unresponsiveness, and blue or purple skin. If you suspect an overdose, call emergency services immediately.
Overall, the inquiry into how to buy fentanyl from China reveals more about the dangers associated with illicit drug use than the benefits. The emphasis should always be on safety, legality, and health. Always prioritize legitimate medical advice and treatment options.
