U.S. officials including Attorney General Merrick Garland, third from right, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, second from right, at a Justice Department news conference Tuesday. U.S. officials announced criminal charges Tuesday against eight Chinese companies and 12 of their executives accused of supplying precursor chemicals for the illegal manufacture of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs.
Undercover U.S. agents ordered the chemicals from online sellers in China who openly advertised their ability to skirt U.S. detection by using fake shipping labels and deceptive delivery procedures, U.S. officials said.
The fentanyl crisis has become the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, and a growing public outcry has added more strains to U.S.-China relations.One alleged supplier in China offering to ship chemicals to Mexico asked an undercover U.S. agent, “Do they need fent?” — using an abbreviation for the drug — and said that “all Mexico customers buy it,” according to Garland.