China’s involvement in fentanyl crisis is a ‘major problem’," official says

(NewsNation) — China is a driving force behind much of the illegal drug trade in the United States, including fentanyl and marijuana, according to law enforcement officials.

According to Donnie Anderson, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, China’s involvement is a “major problem.”

“It’s been a problem here in Oklahoma since 2019 or 2020,” Anderson said Monday on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “It’s not just marijuana. It’s directly tied to the cartels. The Chinese criminal organizations are laundering money for the cartels, and they’re very good. … They’re the best we’ve ever seen.”

Associates of the Los Angeles-based Sinaloa drug cartel conspired with a Chinese underground banking network to funnel more than $50 million in proceeds from the distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, federal drug officials said last week.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has announced federal charges against 24 people following a years-long investigation dubbed “Operation Fortune Runner.” The charges, filed in April, were made public last Monday.

Federal officials allege that a money laundering network with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and ties to a California money transmission ring with ties to Chinese underground banking collected drug money and passed it off as U.S. currency.

China’s involvement in the illegal drug trade is a topic NewsNation has been following. NewsNation senior national correspondent Brian Entin has been investigating alleged illegal marijuana grow operations in Oklahoma that are supported by Chinese.

Oklahoma law enforcement says they are shutting down an average of 15 of the illegal grow houses per day. They say the Chinese growers are crossing the southern U.S.-Mexico border and then traveling to Oklahoma to work in the black market grow houses.

“China controls everything that comes out of their country … We would be very naive to say that the government is not aware that this is happening,” Anderson added. “I do think there are negotiations going on where they are trying to improve the situation. … But even if China thinks this is an American problem, and we have a drug problem, don’t minimize what you’re doing. It can be stopped.”

Jeff Arnold of NewsNation contributed to this report.