Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Christopher Wray told lawmakers on Dec. 5 that the massive drug threat from China includes fentanyl and other drugs.
Mr. Wray spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing that addressed the border, the extension of a surveillance statute, and other issues.
Members of the committee questioned Mr. Wray about the use of Chinese chemicals in the production of fentanyl, a deadly narcotic that, despite the small fatal dosage, is transported in large quantities into the United States via the border with Mexico.
“We’ve found enough fentanyl to kill 80 percent of the American people?” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), questioning the FBI director about the drug’s entrance into the United States.
Mr. Wray confirmed that, within the last two years, law enforcement has seized enough of the drug to kill the vast majority of Americans.
“Do you think we missed some fentanyl?” Mr. Graham continued.
“Absolutely,” Mr. Wray replied.
“What role does China play in the fentanyl problems of America?” asked Mr. Graham.
“China supplies most of the precursors to the cartels in Mexico, which then leads to the fentanyl that comes here. That’s been talked about a fair amount, and it’s a huge problem. But in addition to that, China is also responsible for an awful lot of the manufacturing of the pill presses, which of course, are also used,” Mr. Wray answered.
“And in addition to that,” he said, “a lot of people don’t know this, but China is also responsible for an awful lot of the precursors for the meth that’s manufactured south of the border as well.”
This comes on the heels of a decision by the Biden administration earlier this month to remove the Chinese forensic police institute from a trade sanction list in order to push China’s communist regime to work to halt its outflow of fentanyl precursors.
The Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce included the Institute of Forensic Science (IFS) of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security on its Entity List in 2020.
The Department of State accused the IFS of being “complicit in human rights violations and abuses committed in China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, forced labor and high-technology surveillance” against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities residing in Xinjiang, a far-western region of China.
President Joe Biden conferred with Xi Jinping, leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Nov. 15.
Beijing agreed in principle, as part of the agreement, to restrict the export of compounds used in the production of fentanyl, the substance responsible for an epidemic of fatal overdoses in the United States.
At a press briefing, State Department spokesman Matt Miller explained to reporters that the IFS needed to be taken off the trade sanction list.
“It’s a major, major concern that we should all be paying attention to,” Ms. Cammack said. “I think that we have to address the border security issue, and then address immigration.”
