DEA unveils fentanyl lab at border, cautions on Mexican cartels’ global reach.
The Biden Administration’s Fight Against the Fentanyl Epidemic
The Biden administration is taking decisive action to combat the growing fentanyl epidemic that is plaguing not only the United States but also countries beyond its borders.
During an oversight hearing, Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram revealed an exciting development in the fight against fentanyl. The federal agency has recently established a cutting-edge lab called the Joint Intrepid Lab in El Paso, Texas.
A Lab Dedicated to Fentanyl Profiling
“It is a fentanyl profiling lab with the idea being that we will immediately test fentanyl as quickly as we can, as it gets seized at the border so we can determine who is responsible for making that fentanyl, what it is made up of, and also have an early warning system for future drugs,” Milgram testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance.
This state-of-the-art facility will enable Customs and Border Protection’s officers to swiftly transfer seized fentanyl from pedestrians and vehicles at the ports to the lab for thorough inspection.
At the lab, scientists will analyze the seized fentanyl to identify the precursor ingredients used in its production. This crucial information will help connect the dots between Chinese companies supplying the chemicals and the cartels responsible for smuggling the drugs into the United States.
Milgram emphasized that the DEA has revamped its approach to combating illicit drugs, particularly since the emergence of fentanyl over the past decade. The Jalisco cartel and the Sinaloa cartel, both Mexican transnational criminal organizations, are the primary manufacturers and distributors of fentanyl, operating not only in the U.S. but also in numerous other countries.
To counter the cartels’ global expansion, the DEA has established three specialized teams. One team focuses on tracking the Jalisco cartel, another on tracking the Sinaloa cartel, and a third team concentrates on investigating money laundering activities between the Mexican cartels and Chinese entities.
“They are mapping the cartels. They’re analyzing these criminal networks that now exist in more than 40 countries. And they’re developing targeting information on the members of those networks wherever they operate across the globe,” Milgram explained.
In recent months, the DEA has made significant strides in dismantling U.S.-based drug cartel operations. Over 3,300 individuals affiliated with the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have been arrested between May 2022 and May 2023.
The Hidden Dangers of Fentanyl
“These cartels are hiding fentanyl in fake pills that look like Oxycodone, Xanax, Percocet, Adderall,” Milgram warned. “They’re also mixing it with cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, all to induce Americans to take fentanyl without knowing it and to drive addiction.”
The DEA’s intensified efforts, including the establishment of the Joint Intrepid Lab, demonstrate the administration’s commitment to curbing the fentanyl epidemic and protecting the American people from this deadly drug.
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