FBI Director Patel stated on Wednesday that after overall pressure from the US government, Beijing has cut off the export of fentanyl precursors, causing drug trafficking groups in South America to fall into chaos.
Patel, in an exclusive interview with Jan Jekielek, the senior editor of The Epoch Times and host of the “American Thought Leaders” program, pointed out that after Beijing cut off the supply of fentanyl precursors, drug trafficking groups in Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia are struggling to find alternatives but are coming up empty handed.
“We know where they are, we know who they are, we know what they’re doing. When we monitor, surveil, and investigate these people, we see that they are all complaining about not having the necessary ingredients and access to manufacture fentanyl,” Patel said. “This has had an immediate impact. Over the years, they have never complained like this before.”
This interview will be broadcast on EpochTV at 5 pm Eastern time on Saturday, November 29.
During a bilateral meeting between the US and China in South Korea, an agreement was reached that Beijing must limit the export of fentanyl precursors. In early November, Patel visited China to discuss how the Chinese government should fulfill its commitments. Following the talks, Beijing began implementing an export ban on 13 types of fentanyl precursors and 7 other chemicals.
Patel mentioned that since President Trump returned to the White House, the FBI has shifted its focus towards combating violent crimes with significant changes in approach. This includes empowering field offices and increasing personnel nationwide.
According to the FBI Director, the results of their efforts have led to the arrest of 30,000 criminals this year, including 25,000 violent offenders, and a sharp decline in the murder rate.
He emphasized that international cooperation is needed for various priorities of the FBI such as fentanyl, human trafficking, and financial crimes.
As President Trump’s first term was coming to an end, the administration secured Beijing’s commitment to limit the export of fentanyl to the United States. However, there was a surge in fentanyl trafficking afterwards as Chinese chemical companies began selling precursor chemicals and pill presses to traffickers in Mexico.
“This is the second step taken by the second (Trump) administration: cutting off the precursor supply. Because in essence, we’ve cut off the head of the snake from the source,” Patel said.
During the interview, Patel mentioned the results of his recent trip to Beijing: “We successfully cut off the export of all 13 precursors used to manufacture fentanyl and tightly regulated 7 other chemicals that transform fentanyl into a deadly addictive drug.”
Patel believes that China’s decision to cooperate and lower the fentanyl tariffs with the Trump administration, at 10% instead of 20%, is significant, and both sides are engaging in ongoing communication to ensure that the Beijing regime will keep its promises this time.
Patel stated that the Trump administration’s approach to the fentanyl crisis has been a “whole government pressure” strategy. He acts as a liaison with Beijing and urges them to comply with the agreements.
“Their necessity to come to the negotiating table and continuously show us results,” Patel explained. “If they do not adhere to agreements, I will call Scott Bessent from the Treasury Department, and I will call Pete Hegseth from the Department of Defense.”
“This is a collaborative effort, and we have partnered with the Treasury Department and the Office of Foreign Assets Control to implement sanctions.”
“We have taken a whole government approach to ensure they abide by the commitments. If they do not comply with the agreements, we will be the first to point it out.”