John Cassara, a former agent of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Anti-Money Laundering Section, expressed skepticism about the Chinese government's willingness to cooperate with the U.S. in curbing the flow of fentanyl precursors from China. "The Chinese government will not engage in meaningful cooperation with the U.S.," Cassara stated to the Federal Newswire on April 24.
"I do not believe the Chinese government will engage in meaningful cooperation with the U.S. on this issue," said Cassara. "There is nothing in the CCP's record that suggests it will take meaningful action. Their lack of action is primarily because U.S. 'leaders' do not take meaningful action - and why don't we take action? In addition to leading the world in transnational crime, China also leads the world in corrupting / influence operations."
According to a report released by the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (Select Committee) on April 16, it was revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) plays a significant role in the ongoing fentanyl crisis. The report detailed how CCP permits and even subsidizes the manufacturing and exportation of fentanyl precursor chemicals. The CCP's support for such activities includes tax rebates for chemical manufacturers, non-enforcement of content censors on narcotics exports, and allowing "the open sale of fentanyl precursors and other illicit materials" online. To address this issue, the Select Committee proposed several recommendations including establishing a Joint Task Force – Counter Opioids (JTF - CO) to tackle the global illicit fentanyl supply chain. Furthermore, it urged Congress to "support international cooperation among law enforcement agencies to hold bad actors accountable" and direct the President to prioritize counternarcotics efforts within intelligence communities.
In 2018, China received commendation from the U.S. for regulating two common fentanyl precursors used by Mexican cartels to produce fentanyl before smuggling it into America. However, following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August 2022, China declined further discussions on combating fentanyl trafficking, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Rep. David Trone (D-MD), co-chair on a federal commission investigating opioid trafficking, confirmed that all dialogues regarding this drug between China and the U.S. State Department and Drug Enforcement Agency have been discontinued.
Chinese Spokesman Wang Wenbin expressed his disapproval of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in an August 2022 press briefing. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang stated, "In disregard of China’s stern warnings and repeated representations, Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. This has dealt a heavy blow to the political foundation of China-US relations. The Chinese side announced eight countermeasures including suspending China-US counternarcotics cooperation."
In November 2023, President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping who pledged to resume counternarcotics cooperation with the U.S., as reported by Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institute. However, Felbab-Brown was skeptical about this promise, stating, "It is unlikely that China will end its approach of subordinating its anti-drug and anti-crime cooperation to its strategic calculus."
Cassara's experience spans over 26 years in federal government intelligence and law enforcement communities, as per his website. He has appeared before Congressional committees six times on issues related to money laundering and transnational crime. Cassara is also an author, with works such as "Money Laundering and Illicit Financial Flows: Following the Money and Value Trails" under his belt.
