(The Center Square) – Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has put the Biden Administration on notice, saying the federal government is not taking enough steps to protect the country from fentanyl.
On Monday, Cameron sent a 10-page letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying his office has “squandered the momentum” the Trump Administration generated in stopping China from shipping fentanyl and related substances to America.
Now, Cameron said because of Blinken’s “tepid and disjointed approach” to dealing with China, Mexican drug cartels can import the chemicals used to make a synthetic version of the opioid and bring doctored drugs across the border.
Fentanyl is a highly potent drug, far more powerful than heroin or morphine. It’s also inexpensive to produce, which leads to cartels including it in their products. Drug users who buy or receive the products may not know just how much fentanyl is included in their supply, and that can have fatal consequences.
It’s a pressing issue in Kentucky, where state data shows almost three-quarters of the overdose deaths that occurred here in 2021 were tied to fentanyl. That’s above the national rate of 67%.
Cameron, a Republican endorsed by former President Donald Trump who is challenging Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in the November general election, told Blinken additional steps must be taken. That includes labeling Mexican drug cartels as “terrorist organizations,” applying more pressure on China to stop exporting fentanyl precursors and encouraging the country to put those chemicals on its list of controlled substances.
“This coordinated effort by China and Mexican cartels demands a strong, consistent response from the State Department,” Cameron wrote. “This is exactly the kind of effort the Trump Administration began and that you have wasted.”
Besides putting pressure on China, Cameron implored Blinken to also put pressure on Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who the attorney general claimed has softened his approach to dealing with cartels in his country. He even noted that Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill have questioned Mexican efforts, and he’s not alone. More than 20 state attorneys general have called on the State Department to label cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
“Designating cartels as FTOs will give state and federal law enforcement agencies increased powers to freeze cartel assets, deny cartel members entry to America, and allow prosecutors to pursue tougher punishments against those who provide material support to the cartels,” Cameron wrote.
