Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) grilled James C. Harris III, Assistant Director of Homeland Security Investigations' Countering Transnational Organized Crime (CTOC) division, on countering the Chinese manufacture of fentanyl precursor chemicals shipped to Mexico in a recent House Homeland Security hearing.
"What kind of success have we had in interdicting those precursor chemicals [from China]?" Rep. Gimenez began, adding, "It goes to Mexico, offloaded in Mexico, and then goes to the cartels who create the fentanyl and then ship it across the border, and that fentanyl is killing Americans. Is that right?"
Harris affirmed the described chain was correct, adding that "we have had a lot of success in that area, seeing the chemical precursors coming from Asia to Mexico and did not find their way to the United States," further noting that 13 fentanyl labs used by the cartels have been decimated.
"But those are the labs," Rep. Gimenez countered. "I am talking about the ships coming with the chemicals from China. Do we interdict any of those at all, or do they all land in a Mexican port, and then the chemicals are shipped to the cartels?"
The Assistant Director said the ships are indeed interdicted, only for the Florida Congressman to counter, "Would you be surprised if I tell you that the Chinese actually incentivize the companies that produce the precursor chemicals for fentanyl that tens of thousands of Americans? They incentivize them with tax breaks in China as long as they are for export, but [the chemicals] are actually illegal inside China. So if they do that, would you believe that somehow this is done on purpose, that the Chinese are actually sending this stuff to kill Americans?"
Harris attempted to reply that the Chinese government has contributed to stopping the manufacture, but Gimenez only said, "We are not very successful at that, though, are we?"
