(NewsNation) — Two Mexican drug cartels are primarily responsible for flooding the United States with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 80 times stronger than morphine that’s killing over 200 Americans daily, authorities say.
The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have established a sophisticated supply chain, sourcing precursor chemicals from China and manufacturing fentanyl in clandestine Mexican labs before smuggling it across the U.S. border, according to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports.
No substance comes close to the death toll caused by fentanyl. It claims over 200 lives every day – that’s the equivalent of a full airplane crashing daily.
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DEA seizures highlight the escalating crisis.
In 2021, authorities confiscated 23 million fentanyl pills and nearly 7,000 pounds of powder. By 2023, those numbers surged to over 80 million pills and about 12,000 pounds of powder.
In 2024 alone, 37.7 million pills and more than 5,400 pounds of fentanyl powder have been seized – enough to produce 269 million lethal doses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported fentanyl-related overdose deaths increased from 70,000 in 2021 to over 74,000 in 2023, surpassing deaths from other drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine.
Behind the statistics are tragic personal stories. Stefanie Turner of Texas lost her son Tucker to fentanyl poisoning after he purchased a single pill online while struggling with sleep and anxiety.
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“Fentanyl is taking a whole generation of brilliant minds,” Turner said. “If you don’t receive medication from a pharmacy, count that it has fentanyl. One pill does kill.”
Government efforts to combat the crisis are intensifying. California’s task force seized 8.8 million fentanyl pills this year, while Texas now prosecutes fentanyl-related deaths as murders.
The Biden administration has partnered with China to disrupt the supply of precursor chemicals.
Despite these efforts, including high-profile arrests like that of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in July, the cartels have proven adaptable. They employ various tactics to evade detection, including mislabeled packages, encrypted messaging and cryptocurrency payments.
The cartels have proven resilient and adaptable, shifting their strategies to maintain control over a billion-dollar fentanyl trade that’s ripping through communities and lives.