U.S. singled out China as one of the top drug-producing countries

U.S. President Joe Biden announced an update to the list of major drug production and transit countries in a memo to Congress. The list, which has a significant impact on determining the budget for combating drug trafficking, now includes China for its role in the production of precursor chemicals for fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that contributes to the drug crisis in Norteamérica.La inclusion comes after a legal modification that allows to identify the countries where chemicals used for the production of synthetic drugs are manufactured. President Biden urged China and other chemical-producing countries to strengthen their supply chains and prevent trafficking in hazardous substances. According to U.S. authorities, Mexican cartels were legally sourcing chemicals of Chinese origin to manufacture fentanyl, which is then trafficked to the United States. Fentanyl was identified as one of the main drivers of the opioid crisis in the United States, a situation that wreaked havoc in the country and led to an alarming rise in overdose deaths. China’s inclusion on the list underscores Washington’s concern about activities contributing to this devastating epidemic. In addition to China, Biden’s memorandum also singled out Bolivia and Venezuela for failing to meet their international obligations to combat drug trafficking over the past year. The president described as “vital” the US counternarcotics programs aimed at the two countries, in order to prevent Congress from cutting its budget in this area. The full list of major narcotics producing and transit countries compiled by Washington this year includes Afghanistan, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.

Original source in Spanish