Sens. Grassley, Whitehouse press China to aid in fighting fentanyl trade

A pair of bipartisan lawmakers this week pressed a leading figure at the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., to take action against the distribution of chemicals vital to the production of the lethal narcotic fentanyl.

Writing to embassy Charge d’Affaires Xu Xueyuan, Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked that China "increase its cooperation with the United States to better combat the illicit drug trade, specifically as it relates to precursor chemicals used to manufacture illicit fentanyl."

The pair cited Department of State analysis indicating that many of the necessary chemicals for making fentanyl were arriving in Mexico from China. 

"[W]e request that the PRC expand its information sharing on the flow of nonscheduled chemicals and designer precursor chemicals; strengthen the enforcement of established agreements for the proper labeling of international chemical shipments; and implement customer due diligence standards to prevent the illicit diversion of these precursor chemicals," they went on.

"[W]e urge the PRC to consider implementing laws that require participants in transactions involving listed chemicals to fully identify each other," they continued, citing existing U.S. law to that effect.

"If China were to take these actions, all of which are consistent with international practice, guidance, and treaty obligations, it would greatly reduce the diversion of precursor chemicals used to manufacture illicit narcotics," they concluded.

Fentanyl is a highly lethal narcotic that has fast become a lucrative trade for drug cartels smuggling product into the United States through Mexico.

Grassley warned that the Chinese government was aware of the relationship between its chemicals and the Mexican cartels, calling the connection an "evil scheme."

"The Chinese Communist Party knows full well that its deadly chemicals are being used by Mexican cartels to infect our country and poison our citizens," he said in a press release. "It’s an evil scheme that’s killing thousands of Americans every year, including 471 Iowans who were lost in 2021 alone. Anyone who participates in these deadly dealings ought to be held accountable."

Whitehouse, meanwhile, said that "China is not doing enough to halt the stream of chemicals that Mexican drug cartels use to produce fentanyl, the destructive drug that has supercharged the opioid crisis raging in communities across America."

"The commonsense steps that Co-Chairman Grassley and I lay out in our letter are consistent with international practice, guidelines and treaties and would, undoubtedly, save American lives," he added.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.