TAYLOR: THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED INDICTMENTS AGAINST CHINA-BASED COMPANIES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES FOR CRIMES RELATING TO FENTANYL.

8 CHINESE-BASED COMPANIES – ALONG WITH 12 OF THEIR EXECUTIVES – ARE CHARGED WITH CRIMES RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND IMPORTATION OF FENTANYL, SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS, METHAMPHETAMINE AND THEIR PRECURSOR CHEMICALS – U-S ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND ANNOUNCED AT A NEWS CONFERENCE TUESDAY.

GARLAND: “and we know this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China. our agents and prosecutors are working every day to get fentanyl out of our communities and bring to justice those who put it there.”

TAYLOR: GARLAND NOTED THAT FENTANYL IS 50 TIMES MORE POTENT THAN HEROIN – CALLING IT A NEARLY INVISIBLE POISON. IT’S THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR AMERICANS AGES 18 TO 49. FENTANYL KILLED JUST OVER 70,000 AMERICANS IN 2021 – ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE.

NOW — THESE CHINESE-BASED CHEMICAL COMPANIES ARE ACCUSED OF CREATING A FENTANYL GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN – BY MANUFACTURING CHEMICALS TO MAKE THE DRUG – AND THEN SHIPPING THE FENTANYL PRECURSOR CHEMICALS IN MISLABELED PACKAGES – HOPING THEIR PRODUCTS – ADVERTISED ON THE INTERNET – WOULD GO UNDETECTED.

DRUG CARTELS AND TRAFFICKERS THEN COMBINE THE CHEMICALS – AND SMUGGLE THE DRUGS INTO THE U-S AND MEXICO.

BACK IN APRIL – THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED – IT WAS INDICTING 23 SINALOA CARTEL MEMBERS, ASSOCIATES AND LEADERS – FOR THEIR ROLES IN RUNNING “THE LARGEST AND MOST VIOLENT AND MOST PROLIFIC FENTANYL TRAFFICKING OPERATION IN THE WORLD.”

GARLAND: “and it’s included in the department’s first ever charges against chemical companies based in china for trafficking fentanyl precursor chemicals directly into the united states.”

TAYLOR: NONE OF THE SUSPECTS IN CHINA HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, YET – HOWEVER – GARLAND SAYS THEY’VE ALL BEEN SANCTIONED – AND HE HAS EVERY INTENTION TO BRING THE DEFENDANTS TO JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES.