It is widely known that most fentanyl and precursor ingredients used to make the opioid are manufactured in China. These substances are then shipped to Mexico, where ruthless drug cartels either assemble the drugs or transport them into the United States. Fentanyl is a synthetic drug that is approved for pain treatment. It is widely abused and mixed with other recreational drugs, making them lethal.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The drug is extremely potent;  According the The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, this contriband drug has killed more than 64,000 Americans from April 2020 - April 2021.  That number represents a 15% increase from the estimated number of overdose deaths from the previous year. Fentanyl overdoses are now the number one cause of death among Americans aged 18 - 45.  Meanwhile, customs and border protection (CBP) reported a 1066% increase in fentanly seasures at the eight south Texas ports of entry in the past year.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Fentanyl is often sold as pills and is easily disquised as a pharmaceutical drug, making it easy and hassle-free for the drug cartels to transport and distribute the opioid across the border. Also, the profit margin on fentanly is far higher than on other recreational drugs.  As deaths from drug overdoses exceeded 100,000 for the first time in a single calendar year, calls for the Chinese government to step up and take strict actions to stem the flow of the killer drug and gain momentum. As the world's largest producer of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, China is uniquely positioned to play a pivital role in the war on drugs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  It is estimated that there are anywhere between 160,000 and 400,000 chemical manufacturers and distributors in China. Many of these are clandstine operations that function without the necessary licenses and government approvals. Furthermore, it is believed that most of these units are capable of manufacturing fentanyl and evading the authorities. In May 2019, the entire class of fentanyl-type drugs was brought under production controls and anti-trafficking measures.