On Tuesday, a group of Congressional lawmakers introduced three legislative proposals aimed at imposing potential sanctions on China if its communist regime does not adequately control the export of precursor compounds used to make the lethal drug fentanyl.
One bill put forward would grant the U.S. Treasury Department the authority to enforce penalties on financial institutions, logistics providers, manufacturers, ports, and online platforms involved in facilitating the trade of the illicit agents.
Additional measures include establishing a federal task force to monitor the trafficking activities of producers and increasing civil fines on suppliers failing to comply with directives governing the distribution of the substances.
Mexican drug cartels are known to obtain production materials from Chinese chemical companies, many of whom are government owned or receive significant state subsidies.
An April report from the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party highlighted that fentanyl claims the lives of more than 200 Americans daily, making it the leading cause of death for individuals aged 18-45.
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