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Border Crisis Highlights Ongoing Opioid Epidemic

Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2024
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AMAC Exclusive – By Ben Solis

border agent with dog looking through open border

As Governor Greg Abbott continues his standoff with the Biden administration over Texas’s right to protect its borders, images of thousands of illegal immigrants flooding across the Rio Grande have dominated newsreels. But often missed in this coverage is how the migrant crisis has also exacerbated the ongoing opioid and fentanyl epidemic that is devastating American communities.

The United States saw its most overdose deaths ever in 2023 – more than 112,000. That figure represented a 65 percent jump from the roughly 68,000 overdose deaths in 2018, and a staggering 133 percent jump from the roughly 48,000 deaths in 2014.

Much of that increase has come since the pandemic, as overdose deaths skyrocketed following a moderate but steady decline during the Trump years. According to CDC estimates, opioid deaths increased by 38 percent from January 2020 to June 2023.

Much of this increase in deaths has been driven by a proliferation of deadly fentanyl, a synthetic opioid which is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. Louise Vincent, a self-described “harm-reduction activist” told NPR that she has seen “an entire community swept away” by fentanyl.

“I can’t even think of all the people I know who have died,” Vincent said. “My daughter died. Our mentors are dead. It is so dangerous right now.”

The Biden administration’s policies on two fronts – the border crisis and China – have directly exacerbated this crisis.

With Border Patrol officials stretched beyond the breaking point as thousands of migrants pour into the country every day, drug cartels have taken full advantage by ramping up their smuggling operations. Customs and Border Patrol agents seized an astonishing 850 percent more fentanyl in Fiscal Year 2023 compared to Fiscal Year 2019 – a sign that, according to border agents, means dramatically more of the stuff escaped detection and is now being sold to drug users throughout the country.

Much of the fentanyl now wreaking havoc on American families and communities comes from China, which has done virtually nothing to shut down the Chinese factories that produce fentanyl and fentanyl precursors (the ingredients to make the drug). Although Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly pledged to crack down on fentanyl production in meetings with Biden, those promises have proven entirely empty.

A Treasury Department report published last October names 12 official Chinese firms as producers and suppliers of fentanyl and precursors which makes their way to American streets. According to the report, one Chinese entity was responsible for exporting nearly 2,000 pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine ingredients to the United States and Mexico.

Hebei Guanlang Biotechnology, Jinhu Minsheng Pharmaceutical Machinery, and Jiangsu Bangdeya New Material Technology, are just a few examples of legally registered firms in China which are involved in production of chemicals and ingredients of the common drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, that have links to Mexican gangs like the Sinaloa Cartel.

Dr. Yunteng Qian, who defected in the late 1980s as a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official involved in the trafficking of narcotics and forged currencies, told me in an interview that Western politicians need to understand that the CCP has no intention of helping fight the opioid crisis and in fact is interested in making it worse.

Since Mao, he explained, the Chinese Communist Party has engaged in political warfare against the West, which focused primarily on demoralizing, sickening, and ultimately killing the youngest generations of Westerners by unleashing a flood of addictive drugs. “They think it is the easiest way to win,” Qian said.

From this perspective, he continued, it was pointless to appeal to Xi Jinping, as Biden has done, to help stop drug trafficking. “It is naïve, he won’t help.”

In fact, the problem may be about to get much, much worse, as some medical professionals are warning about a new “monster drug” that could be even more deadly than fentanyl.

The drug is actually a class of substances known as “nitazenes” which were developed as a potential alternative to morphine 60 years ago but discarded due to their high potential for overdose. The stuff, which is sometimes referred to by street dealers as “hearse,” “atco,” or “show and tell,” is now popping up in communities throughout the United States and Western Europe.

The British National Crime Agency has reported that the street version of nitazenes could be up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl. Doctors are warning that because the drug is very difficult to detect in the bloodstream, the risk of delayed diagnosis and thus death in the case of an overdose is significantly higher.

In Colorado, Boulder County officials confirmed that at least two people died of a nitazenes overdose in the second half of 2023. The drug has been linked to at least 54 deaths in the United Kingdom, with British authorities telling the BBC that they believe nitazenes are being produced by labs in China. Although the British authorities suggested that these labs are operating against Chinese law, the aforementioned Treasury Department report and other intelligence reports suggest that the CCP has an active hand in peddling this poison to the world.

Much like the migrant crisis, Biden has not only done nothing to stop the proliferation of fentanyl and other deadly drugs in American communities, but actively enabled the tragedy by attempting to thwart Republican efforts to secure the border. With voters passing judgement on Biden for his immigration failures, they should not forget his role in deepening the opioid epidemic as well.

Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.

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Larry
Larry
8 months ago

Thank you Governor Abbott and the 25 states who stand with you (US, the citizens OF the United States). When will someone realize that Biden, from his first day in office, has failed to live up to his oath of office-which should make him a traitor to our country??! What did he place his hand on-a satanic bible? If it really was a Holy Bible, may God have mercy on his soul! God takes promises and swearing oaths seriously-and Biden’s house of cards is falling. The United States of America is still One Nation Under God! God Bless America!! Amen Amen

David Millikan
David Millikan
8 months ago

Excellent article. As Fentanyl pours into the United States KILLING Americans and with Millions upon Millions of the Illegal Alien Terrorist Invasion under Dictator Beijing biden he continues his Election Interference, False charges for Fake Crimes against President Trump and the J6 defendants, attacking Americans and their U.S. Constitutional Rights, calling Americans terrorist and murderers. What does Dictator Beijing biden do? Take vacations and attack Americans more instead of stopping the Fentanyl and his Illegal Alien Terrorist Invasion, Crime, Corruption, and his INFLATION.
Dictator Beijing biden has the Feds ILLEGALLY having banks see what Americans bank accounts support President Trump from donations with more of his Election Interference instead of Securing the Border and kept America Energy Independent and a Strong Military.
But NO. Dictator Beijing biden doesn’t care about the United States and her Legal citizens. Dictator Beijing biden ONLY cares about DESTROYING the United States and attacking President Trump to keep Power and Control over YOU at the cost of the United States and YOUR LIVES.
President Trump put and puts the United States and her Legal Citizens
FIRST.
Vote President Trump.

Mike
Mike
8 months ago

Biden has declared war on America.

Brian
Brian
8 months ago

Solution: vote (R)emove (E)every (D)emocrat !!

Mike
Mike
8 months ago

Synthesized virus aimed at the old or the infirm or highly lethal drugs aimed at homeless and mentally impaired. Welcomed into our country by wealthy magnates and winked at by power hungry wealth seeking politicians. How much more will the sheep tolerate while the media looks on with nothing to report but lies and blind eyes?

Betty
Betty
8 months ago

Bidon has sold out the US

Buck19wilton#
Buck19wilton#
8 months ago

Far, far too much rhetoric, posturing, taking sides, and acting like their “cognitive-rectal condition” is and will be permanent.
For God’s sake won’t someone or a group bring Treason charges, and dozens of other federal statute violations to the people responsible? Why all the loose and dumb crap?
Treason has been committed daily and no one faces the noose.
Word on the street for sure, and seemingly true.

Rik
Rik
8 months ago

The Communist wannabe Jackass Presidential Imposter is trying his best to destroy Capitalism and the Republican Party isn’t fighting hard enough in my opinion! It’s so I don’t recognize my country anymore!

Harry
Harry
8 months ago

Nothing will ever be done. Biden is owned by China!!
Fentanyl? It killed my son!

It dhould be wesponized as a bomb and dropped on Beijing. Since Biden is protecting China for his own benefit, The government will never do it, but who says private entities can’t??

Mike
Mike
8 months ago

To all police , border , army personnel, should not help this illegitimate regime , stand by with the patriots ( my opinion )

Tammy
Tammy
8 months ago

Harris already has this planned well not her shes not exactly the brightest bulb on the tree, right after they got illegally installed she went to the triangle countries to get them on board which was easy since the U.S. tax payers are illegally forced into paying for the destruction of our own country which is rather ironic since she’s Americas so called border czar yet she’s never been to our southern border…imagine that a Democrat not keeping their word or doing their job???

anna hubert
anna hubert
8 months ago

This problem is nothing new 50 years ago was the time to deal with the producers and suppliers of drugs That would require draconian measures which would be cruel and unusual punishment and that would not do because the right of a criminal comes before the victim’s

Gabe Hanzeli kent wa
Gabe Hanzeli kent wa
8 months ago

what! there are no opioids coming across the border. the dmeocrats and leftists have told us for years and years it is all the doctors fault for over prescribing. that is why for the last 10 years when you get surgery they send you home mostly with Tylenol.

How could any opioids be coming across the border when it is clearly all the doctors fault!!

OOOOOooohh! the leftists/democrats were lying. ok got it.

Robert Zuccaro
Robert Zuccaro
8 months ago

Another ignored story is the ecological impact of over 8 million people in just the last three years crapping, whizzing, and tossing plastic water bottles, blankets, and trash in the Rio Grande River. Now multiply that by over forty years of illegals…

Go for it
Go for it
8 months ago

you aren’t doing anything that the people who run this nation don’t do everyday lol

Judith Dunn
Judith Dunn
8 months ago

Our county commissioner lost her oldest son to this overdose

Battle of Texas
Battle of Texas
8 months ago

everyone there will leave as soon as the beer tent runs out of horrible tasting light beer lol

John
John
8 months ago

Didn’t the West do this to the East during the Opium Wars? I guess they learned…and we forgot.

Rifle
Rifle
8 months ago

how Many drones does army of Texas have? Lol lol lol

Joe
Joe
8 months ago

I am a democrat and I am angry. I’m for immigration and helping people but this is too much too quickly. There has to be some reasonable limits. I’m also angry about all the antisemitism from the far left.
I will be voting for Biden because he’s helped Israel and I hate Trump and everything about him, but will be voting the rest Republican to keep Biden in check. I am sick and tired of people criticizing my political opinions and who I am voting for.

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