If you google this question, “where does fentanyl come from?” You get a results page filled with “China” and “Mexico”. I have a suspicion that the fentanyl “pouring over our southern border” narrative is mostly BS and that it’s coming from inside the house, but can anybody point me towards the facts? Thank you
China makes most of the fentanyl and/or precursors. I read somewhere that Germany also produces a ton.
Basically, fentanyl is an actual drug used in healthcare, and its precursors are used in other applications as well. Some companies work directly with cartels and others have inside men. But other companies refuse to do so because it attracts too many eyes. But that doesn’t stop the flow. Criminal syndicates also have corporate front entities that pose as legitimate pharmaceutical firms. They’ll put in orders, and some companies/customs/regulators may either turn a blind eye to the end user, others completely ignorant of the end user because the criminals are good at hiding.
Now, even if the entire supply chain is legitimate, there’s still the fact that drug cartels have guys with machine guns. If they can’t do the corporate route, they’ll just rob the shipment.