The DEA’s leading authority, Anne Milgram, has expressed concern over social media platforms’ lack of commitment to curbing the escalating fentanyl crisis.
On NBC’s “Meet The Press,” she voiced frustration that the partnership between law enforcement, including the DEA, and social media platforms, is not as robust as it needs to be in these critical times.
Social media companies’ terms of service outlaw drug sales on their platforms. However, Milgram insists that these entities must do more, such as providing crucial information to law enforcement agencies, in this declared emergency.
The role of social media in the fentanyl crisis has been emphasized, as it has increasingly become the “last mile” for cartels distributing fentanyl to users.
CDC data indicates that the fentanyl crisis is reaching unprecedented levels. A staggering two-thirds of the record-breaking 107,081 drug-related deaths in the US in 2022 involved synthetic opioids, chiefly illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF), excluding methadone.
The gravity of this situation is underscored by the fact that fentanyl is now the main cause of mortality for Americans under 50, surpassing heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide, and accidents.
Reacting to this national crisis, the Biden administration has sought $46.1 billion from Congress for federal drug control programs, a $5 billion hike from the 2022 request, and $2.3 billion more than the enacted level for fiscal year 2023.
However, the administration’s border policies have come under fire from Republicans, who blame these lax policies for the fentanyl crisis.
Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), backed by other Republican congress members, argued that the fentanyl crisis had turned every state into a border state, stressing that this crisis is no longer confined to the southwest border, from where most fentanyl enters the US.
Taking a step forward, the Justice Department, for the first time in history, has filed criminal charges against four Chinese chemical manufacturers and eight individuals for allegedly trafficking chemicals essential for fentanyl production.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan announced indictments against Hubei Amarvel Biotech and its executives, Qingzhou Wang, Yiyi Chen, and Fnu Lnu, also known as Er Yang, for fentanyl trafficking, precursor chemical importation, and money laundering offenses.
In the Eastern District of New York, prosecutors unsealed two more indictments against three other Chinese companies and individuals accused of conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl.
These accused companies, including Hebei Sinaloa Trading Co., allegedly advertised precursor chemicals on social media platforms in Mexico and the US and used deceptive customs forms and mislabeled packages to transport the substances via boat and air.
These actions echo social media companies’ need for more cooperation to end this fentanyl crisis, as it is high time they take responsibility for their role in this deadly issue.