Mexican Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) obtain the precursor to manufacture fentanyl by evading inspections, mislabeling the product, or importing dual-use chemicals, the US government said.
This information was published within the America’s Intelligence Community Annual Threat Reportprepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI for its acronym in English).
“Chemical middlemen and can circumvent international controls by mislabeling shipments and buying unregulated dual-use chemicals,” the report noted.
The US government reiterated that the Mexican cartels get most of the chemical precursors needed to produce fentanyl from China.
Likewise, he pointed out that the Mexican OCTs are the main producers and suppliers of illicit drugs in the US market, indicated the intelligence services of the United States.
“Mexican OCTs have flooded the United States with cheap counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, some in different shapes and colors of the rainbow, a contributing factor to the sharp increase in US teen overdose deaths since 2019,” he pointed.
Finally, the US government pointed out the risk that these organizations represent, specifically because of the dispute over criminal activities that they can carry out.
“Mexican OCTs engage in violent territorial disputes with their rivals over drug and migrant trafficking routes,” the document stated.
In this sense, he added that “Colombia, the world’s leading producer of cocaine, is experiencing an increase in homicides, partially driven by the TCOs involved in drug trafficking,” the report states.
Within the publication, the United States government considered the international criminal organizations in general as a threat to the country, since they can cause damage in different areas.
“TCOs threaten the public safety of the United States and its allies, undermine the integrity of the international financial system, and erode the rule of law in partner countries,” the report states.
In this sense, the US authorities pointed out that the damage that these criminal groups can cause can have a negative effect in different areas.
“These challenges directly impact the national security of the United States by creating irregular migration problems, stimulating crime and violence, and promoting the interests of some adversaries of the United States,” he said.
This report is made by the ODNI every year, and compiles the information collected by the Intelligence Community (IC) of the United States government, and seeks to warn of the possible risks that the country’s intelligence services will face. .
The American CI is made up of 18 organizations, including ONI as well as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA for its acronym in English).
These revelations came amid claims by Republican congressmen who have accused the Mexican government of not making enough efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking into the United States.
However, this writing was prepared since February 18, although it had not been made public until last week in a public version with data that can be reviewed by anyone.