Senator Hassan Statement on New Report on Fentanyl Trafficking from China to Mexico to the U.S.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan released the following statement on a new government report that discusses the danger of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. The report highlights that most of the fentanyl that Mexican cartels traffic to the U.S. begins with fentanyl materials that are sourced from China.

“Fentanyl is a deadly and addictive drug that is devastating communities in New Hampshire and across the country. To save lives, we must stay laser-focused on disrupting the flow of these deadly drugs from China and Mexico to the U.S. across our borders,” said Senator Hassan. “I am working across the aisle on critical ways to crack down on fentanyl trafficking by pressuring the Chinese government and ensuring that law enforcement has the resources and authorities it needs to prevent fentanyl trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border and in the mail. I will keep pressing the administration and my colleagues in Congress to take on this issue with the urgency that it needs.”

In 2019, Senator Hassan traveled to China, where she pushed Chinese officials to address fentanyl trafficking. The Senator then worked with her colleagues to address this issue – and the most recent annual defense bill included a bipartisan amendment from Senators Hassan and Pat Toomey (R-PA) to hold China and other bad actors accountable for contributing to America’s fentanyl-fueled opioid crisis.

In addition, Senator Hassan has worked across the aisle to get law enforcement officials the tools that they need to intercept drug trafficking through the mail and at the U.S.-Mexico border. Senator Hassan has also led bipartisan efforts to vastly increase access to life-saving addiction medicine by eliminating a requirement that currently blocks millions of highly trained health professionals from prescribing buprenorphine to their patients.

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