The U.S. Department of Treasury moved this month to sanction two Chinese companies that have contributed to the fentanyl problem in the United States, and Congressman Bill Huizenga says it’s about time. He tells us two companies and five individuals are affected by the sanctions.
“I applaud the administration for doing that,” Huizenga said. “It might be too little, too late, but I’m glad they started. We need to utilize our sanctions regime to go after these companies.”
Huizenga says fentanyl has been a problem nationwide, including in southwest Michigan. He points to an April 13 report from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety about more than a dozen overdoses and five deaths in a 24 span, as well as a March 9 fentanyl bust in Van Buren County described as the largest ever in the state.
“It’s not just urban. It’s not just suburban. It’s not just rural. It is everywhere, and that simply cannot go unaddressed.”
Huizenga says the companies affected by Treasury’s sanctions are involved in the production of materials that go into fentanyl. From there, he says the substance is made in Mexico and smuggled into the U.S. by cartels.
