U.S. to sanction fentanyl traffickers, meet with Mexican officials to address crisis

The Biden administration plans to sanction fentanyl traffickers in an effort to disrupt the trade of the deadly drug within the United States, the White House said on Tuesday. 

According to a White House fact sheet, the government plans to target the fentanyl supply chains by increasing sanctions and other measures to obstruct the drug traffickers’ access to financial flows. 

“The Biden-Harris Administration will expand its efforts to disrupt the illicit financial activities that fund these criminals by increasing accountability measures, including financial sanctions, on key targets to obstruct drug traffickers’ access to the U.S. financial system and illicit financial flows,” the fact sheet stated.

"We will also strengthen collaboration with international partners on illicit finance and anti-money laundering efforts related to drug trafficking," the White House said, adding that it plans to build a global coalition to thwart the use of synthetic drugs.

“This global coalition will develop solutions, drive national actions, and create synergies and leverage among like-minded countries who agree that countering illicit synthetic drugs must be a global policy priority,” according to the White House.

However, the fact sheet did not provide any details about the kind of sanctions that would be imposed, the other measures it mentions, or the coalition.  

Biden also plans to request Congress to permanently classify fentanyl-related drugs as “Schedule I,” drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

U.S. officials are expected to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and members of Mexico’s security cabinet to address the fentanyl crisis plaguing both countries. 

Last week, Lopez Obrador urged Chinese President Xi Jinping in a letter to help tackle fentanyl production by providing Mexico with information about when and where fentanyl was being shipped from China. 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that killed more than 70,000 people in the U.S. in 2021, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.