Former Attorney General William Barr has accused the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of actively sponsoring, encouraging, and facilitating the fentanyl crisis in the United States. Barr presented his testimony during a Congressional hearing on fentanyl, organized by the House Select Committee on the CCP on April 16.
"The Committee's work has uncovered persuasive evidence that the PRC and CCP are not just bystanders; they are the prime movers," said William P. Barr, according to Select Committee on the CCP. "They are knee deep in actively sponsoring, encouraging, and facilitating the production and export of fentanyl and fentanyl precursors for distribution in the United States."
According to the Committee's report, an active CCP website uses tax rebates to allow Chinese companies that produce fentanyl precursors to "operate tax free." The CCP has reportedly taken measures to prevent this website from being discovered.
The report also revealed that monetary grants and awards were given to Chinese companies involved in trafficking illicit fentanyl and synthetic narcotics. Some PRC officials were found to be directly associated with these companies. Furthermore, the CCP holds ownership stakes in a company linked to drug production and trafficking. A PRC prison official connected with human rights abuses owns a website that is linked to drug trafficking. The report indicated that the CCP neither prosecutes nor assists U.S. law enforcement in tracking down drug producers and traffickers.
Barr stated in his testimony, "It is a euphemism to describe the mass distribution of fentanyl as 'drug trafficking.' It is outright murder. It is like shooting randomly into a crowd." He further asserted that China is aware of their role in exacerbating the ongoing opioid crisis in America.
William P. Barr served as the 85th Attorney General of the United States under President Trump, confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2019, according to information from the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to this appointment, he was also the 77th Attorney General under President George H.W. Bush from 1991 until 1993.
