The United States Department of Justice has charged eight Chinese companies and twelve of their executives with crimes related to the production, distribution and importation of fentanyl and other opioids in the United States.
The State Attorney General, Merrick Garland, announced these charges in a press appearance, which he stressed show that the precursor elements used to manufacture fentanyl come primarily from chemical companies based in China.
In addition, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), of the Treasury Department, sanctioned 28 people and companies, of which 25 are based in China (including those sanctioned by the Department of Justice) and three in Canada.
Los cartels from Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación are two of the recipients of the substances produced by those sanctioned, among which stand out Wang Shucheng y Du Changgenaccording to the Treasury, reports AFP.
Washington accuses Wang of having ordered others to create companies to use as a front for the global pharmaceutical trade. And Du to lead the network responsible for manufacturing and distributing tons of precursors to nitacenes, fentanyl, metfentamines and ecstasy (Molly or MDMA).