Mexican cartels are flooding the US with fentanyl, causing more than 200 deaths every day

(NewsNation) – Two Mexican drug cartels are primarily responsible for flooding the United States with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 80 times stronger than morphine that authorities say is killing more than 200 Americans every day.

The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have established a sophisticated supply chain, sourcing precursor chemicals from China and producing fentanyl in clandestine Mexican labs before smuggling it across the US border, according to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports.

No drug comes close to the death toll caused by fentanyl. It claims more than 200 lives every day – that’s the equivalent of a full plane crashing every day.

DEA attacks highlight escalating crisis.

In 2021, authorities seized 23 million fentanyl pills and nearly 7,000 pounds of powder. By 2023, those numbers had increased to more than 80 million pills and approximately 12,000 pounds of powder.

In 2024 alone, 37.7 million pills and more than 2,000 kilos of fentanyl powder were seized – enough to produce 269 million lethal doses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that deaths from fentanyl overdose increased from 70,000 in 2021 to more than 74,000 in 2023, surpassing deaths from other drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine.

Behind the statistics lie tragic personal stories. Stefanie Turner of Texas lost her son Tucker to fentanyl poisoning after he bought a single pill online while struggling with sleep and anxiety.

“Fentanyl is taking a whole generation of brilliant minds,” Turner said. “If you don’t get medication from the pharmacy, expect it to contain fentanyl. One pill is fatal.”

The government’s efforts to combat the crisis are increasingly intensifying. California’s task force has seized 8.8 million fentanyl pills this year, while Texas now prosecutes fentanyl-related deaths as homicides.

The Biden administration is working with China to disrupt the supply of precursor chemicals.

Despite these efforts, including high-profile arrests such as that of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in July, the cartels have proven flexible. They use various tactics to evade detection, including mislabeled packages, encrypted messages, and cryptocurrency payments.

The cartels have proven resilient and adaptable, adapting their strategies to maintain control of the multibillion-dollar fentanyl trade that ripples through communities and lives.