Fentanyl pills found by officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration are seen in this handout picture, in New York, U.S., October 4, 2022. Drug Enforcement Administration/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on 15 Sinaloa Cartel members and six Mexico-based entities involved in the illicit manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl and other deadly drugs, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo announced.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Mexico is a major trafficking hub for the highly potent synthetic opioid.
Almost 80,000 Americans died from opioid-related overdoses in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
KEY QUOTES
“A top priority … (is) to stop illicit fentanyl from entering the United States and disrupt the cartels that peddle this deadly drug,” Adeyemo said in remarks prepared for delivery at a press conference in Phoenix.
“More than five people in Arizona die each day from opioid overdoses,” Adeyemo said. “In Maricopa County, the majority of all drug-related deaths now involve fentanyl. Since 2015, fentanyl deaths have increased by almost 5,000 percent since. What makes these tragedies all the more heartbreaking — and infuriating — is knowing that criminals trafficking these drugs pursue profits with a callous disregard for American lives.”
CONTEXT
The announcement is part of the Treasury Department’s Counter Fentanyl Strike Force and the Biden administration’s plan to fight the illicit fentanyl trade.