(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Mexican cartels are purchasing “industrial pill press equipment” to manufacture fentanyl powder into pills, according to an official with the Department of Homeland Security.
Matthew Millhollin, assistant director with DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations, gave the report at a recent Senate briefing about steps the department is taking against the fentanyl epidemic.
According to the Daily Caller, the Mexican cartels are purchasing chemicals from China to produce the pills on an industrial scale.
“In order to manufacture these pills, Mexican cartels require industrial pill press equipment to turn powdered fentanyl into pill form.” said Millhollin. “The Mexican cartels are purchasing these pill presses directly from Chinese manufacturers who are producing the equipment specifically for illicit activity.”
Millhollin also explained that China denied their involvement in the trafficking of fentanyl and instead blamed the problem on the United States.
“The pill presses that are used to press that finished fentanyl into pills are coming in from China exclusively,” Millhollin explained.
“We just seized over 200 pill presses at a warehouse in Los Angeles,” he continued. “This came in directly from China. This problem begins and ends in China.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses involving fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration seized more than 379 million doses of fentanyl in 2022—enough to kill every American citizen.
These doses include over 50.6 million bootlegged prescription pills laced with fentanyl powder, often disguised as prescription medications such as Xanax and OxyContin.
“Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose,” according to DEA administrator Anne Milgram.
The Biden administration took little action against the crisis thus far, largely ignoring the situation along with the skyrocketing rates of illegal immigration.
The leaky border is a primary instigator of the crisis. Several state-level law enforcement officials have made record–breaking busts, often finding enough fentanyl to kill thousands of citizens.
