{"id":131611,"date":"2024-10-02T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=131611"},"modified":"2024-10-02T18:53:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T22:53:06","slug":"reuters-the-fentanyl-funnel-how-narcos-sneak-deadly-chemicals-through-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=131611","title":{"rendered":"(Reuters) The fentanyl funnel: How narcos sneak deadly chemicals through the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The illicit fentanyl that kills tens of thousands of Americans a year is largely produced from Chinese chemicals cooked up in clandestine Mexican laboratories, according to U.S. authorities. This requires drug traffickers to transport the necessary chemicals halfway around the world. But cartels have found a clever way to smuggle these chemicals from China to Mexico \u2013 by first importing them into the United States.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Master carton shipping has become an indispensable way for delivery companies to move vast quantities of merchandise around the world quickly. It\u2019s legal, it\u2019s practical, and in the era of e-commerce, it\u2019s key to our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the practice makes it a snap for traffickers to sneak fentanyl chemicals into the country, hidden in small boxes packed inside other boxes. On top of that, a little-known U.S. trade regulation has made this smuggling easier still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The de minimis<\/em> rule exempts low-value parcels from taxes, duties and stringent customs reporting rules. It\u2019s meant to keep U.S. Customs and Border Protection from wasting time and effort when the cost of collecting tariffs on cheap imports exceeds the revenue gained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read it all<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>

A tweak in a trade rule fueled America\u2019s online shopping habits. It also helped Mexican narcos smuggle vital fentanyl-making chemicals from China Here\u2019s how: https:\/\/t.co\/ahkIC9QfdB<\/a> by @draz_DJ<\/a> @gottesdiener<\/a> @kristinacooke<\/a> @SEisenhammer<\/a> via @specialreports<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/aXnl1Yfpkw<\/a><\/p>— Reuters Investigates (@specialreports) October 1, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>