In reaction to a Congressional report revealing China's involvement in the fentanyl crisis, Gabriel Noronha, Executive Director at Polaris National Security, stated that China is intent on undermining the U.S. through any means possible, especially via the fentanyl trade which is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans annually. Noronha conveyed his statement to Federal Newswire on April 29.
"The Chinese government is going to be embarrassed that its support for the fentanyl trade has now been openly exposed," said Noronha. "But the report also demonstrates the lengths to which the CCP has gone to try to undermine and weaken U.S. society. There will be no good-faith cooperation from the CCP here. They remain convinced of the need to weaken the United States by all possible means, and flooding the U.S. with fentanyl is just another means to accomplish this."
The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (Select Committee) recently published a report on their investigation into China's role in the fentanyl crisis. According to this report, the Select Committee discovered that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), "directly subsidizes the manufacturing and export of illicit fentanyl materials and other synthetic narcotics through tax rebates." This occurs despite many of these fentanyl precursors being illegal under Chinese laws. The CCP has never publicly acknowledged this rebate program. Furthermore, it was found that the CCP "gave monetary grants and awards to companies openly trafficking illicit fentanyl materials and other synthetic narcotics."
Noronha informed Federal Newswire that China is culpable for producing and shipping precursor chemicals to both Mexico and the United States for fentanyl production. This was mentioned during his interview on the China Desk podcast. He stated, "Any conversation about China that doesn't start with fentanyl is missing a big part of the picture–110,000 Americans killed in 2021 and then another 100,000 killed in 2022."
According to this report, the CCP permits sales of fentanyl precursors on its "extensively monitored and controlled" internet. An analysis of seven e-commerce websites revealed over 31,000 instances of Chinese companies selling illegal chemicals linked to drug trafficking. Undercover communications with Chinese drug traffickers "revealed an eagerness to engage in clearly illicit drug sales with no fear of reprisal." Domestic content censors aimed at drug sales do not apply to drug exports leaving the country.
The report states that the CCP "strategically and economically benefits from the fentanyl crisis." Chinese chemical manufacturers are profiting while an average of 200 Americans die daily from fentanyl. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.
Prior to becoming the executive director of Polaris National Security, Noronha served as a special advisor for the State Department's Iran action group and special assistant for the Senate Armed Services Committee, according to Federal Newswire.
