Senator Hassan Encouraged by Administration’s Fentanyl Trafficking Actions, Calls for Continued Efforts

WASHINGTON – In an effort to curb international fentanyl and synthetic opioid trafficking, the Office of National Drug Control Policy this week announced private-sector advisories to help banks and other businesses identify and alert law enforcement to possible drug trafficking. In addition, the Department of Treasury announced sanctions on three Chinese nationals it identified as foreign narcotics traffickers.

“Drug traffickers from China are helping fuel the opioid epidemic, trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous synthetic opioids into our country and to New Hampshire through the mail,” said Senator Hassan. “This announcement is a step in the right direction, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Administration, law enforcement, and the private sector to crack down on international opioid trafficking and protect Granite State communities. It is critical that these efforts include coordination with China – and when I visited Beijing earlier this year, I was encouraged by the briefings on our joint law enforcement efforts and am hopeful that we can strengthen this partnership moving forward.”

China is a major source of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues in the United States. Fentanyl – as well as the precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl – is often shipped either directly from China to the United States or from China to criminal organizations in Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean who then smuggle the drugs into the United States.

Senator Hassan has been a leader in the Senate on this issue, working across the aisle to combat international drug trafficking. The Senator traveled to China earlier this year to stress the importance of strengthening efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking from China. In October 2018, Senator Hassan attended the White House signing ceremony for the bipartisan opioid package, which included the STOP Act that she cosponsored to help stop the shipment of fentanyl from places like China into the United States through the U.S. Postal Service. Earlier in 2018, Senator Hassan also attended the White House signing ceremony for the bipartisan INTERDICT Act, which she cosponsored to help ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection have the tools to help detect and intercept fentanyl being smuggled into the United States – much of which originated in China.

###