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Three Republican senators have introduced legislation aimed at halting the flow of nitazenes—synthetic opioids more potent than fentanyl—from China to the United States.
Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) on Oct. 30 introduced the Nitazene Sanctions Act (
S.3080), which would amend the
existing Fentanyl Sanctions Act to address nitazene trafficking, particularly by entities in China.
“Nitazenes could become the next fentanyl crisis if not stopped,” Ricketts
said in a statement.
“It’s already killed thousands of Europeans, and it’s quickly making its way to our shores. The Nitazene Sanctions Act will unleash sweeping sanctions against those in Communist China who are helping to poison and kill Americans.”
Nitazenes
are synthetic opioids of the 2-benzylbenzimidazole class, belonging to the broader category of benzimidazole opioids. According to a 2024 report
published by the Organization of American States, a regional diplomatic body, nitazenes are often “mixed with or counterfeited as other drugs,” such as heroin and fentanyl, to enhance potency and reduce costs. Nitazenes come in different forms, and the most common type, isotonitazene, is about five to nine times stronger than fentanyl, the report states.
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The senators wrote in their
bill that China-based chemical manufacturing companies can synthesize nitazene precursors “at a scale using a comparatively easy 3- or 4-step process.” Additionally, they stated that Mexican cartels could source nitazenes from Chinese suppliers and funnel them into the United States, citing the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
If the bill is enacted, the president will be empowered to impose sanctions on any entity that “produces, manufactures, distributes, sells, or knowingly finances or transports” nitazenes.
The legislation would also require the secretary of state and the attorney general to submit a related report to Congress detailing China’s role and the role of Chinese financial institutions in the production of nitazene precursors, a U.S. plan for working with China in reducing the precursors, and a U.S. strategy on working with European allies to stem the flow of nitazenes from China.
“Nitazenes are powerful synthetic opioids which overwhelmingly originate from Communist China,” Schmitt said in a statement.
“The Nitazene Sanctions Act will combat this deadly drug by unleashing devastating sanctions against any entity in Communist China that is manufacturing this deadly drug to poison and kill American citizens.”
In September, Frank Tarentino, head of the DEA’s New York division,
told The Epoch Times that nitazenes originating from China have become increasingly common in the illicit drug market.
In the same month, the DEA’s Houston division
wrote on X that it had recorded a “spike in the number of fatal drug poisonings” related to nitazenes and had spotted nitazene pills in Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas.
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Also in September, four Chinese companies were
indicted for allegedly selling illicit cutting agents to be mixed with fentanyl, including two forms of nitazene: protonitazene and metonitazene.
Separately, Ricketts, McCormick, and Schmitt, joined by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), introduced the Nitazene Control Act (
S.3076) on Oct. 30.
According to a statement from McCormick’s office, the legislation would place the entire class of nitazenes under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
“Families across Arizona have already been torn apart by the opioid and fentanyl epidemic, and now nitazenes threaten to make this crisis even worse,” Gallego
said in a statement at the time.
“The Nitazene Control Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to keep these drugs out of our communities and save lives. I’m proud to support this bipartisan bill to protect Arizona families from the next wave of the opioid epidemic.”
A companion version (
H.R.5032) of the Nitazene Control Act was
introduced in the House in August by Reps. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) and Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.).
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