US now names India along with China as 'state actors' in fentanyl trafficking

The United States has now named India close behind China for direct and indirect supply of precursor chemicals and equipment used by drug cartels in the production of the illicit opioid fentanyl.

India has been named a “state actor” in the illicit business in the “2025 Annual Threat Assessment” – a coordinated evaluation of global threats to US interests – released on Tuesday (March 25).

According to the report, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids remain the deadliest drugs trafficked into the US, responsible for more than 52,000 deaths during a 12-month period ending in October 2024.

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Trump’s war on drugs

The Donald Trump administration has intensified its crackdown on fentanyl trafficking and has linked trade policies with certain countries to their role in the drug supply chain.

This is the first time Washington has placed New Delhi on the same level as Beijing in connection with the supply of precursor chemicals used by drug cartels to manufacture opioids like fentanyl.

The Trump administration’s main ire is directed at Canada and Mexico. But drug cartels in these two countries rely on precursors and equipment coming from China and India, American officials alleged.

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‘State actor’ India

“Non-state groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly, by state actors, such as China and India as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers,” said the report.

“China remains the primary source country for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment, followed by India,” it added.

The assessment has been published by the office of the Director of National Intelligence, which is headed by Tulsi Gabbard, who recently visited India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others.

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Hyderabad link

The findings follow a recent federal case in Washington where an India-based chemical manufacturing firm and three of its executives were charged with illegally importing fentanyl precursors.

Two senior employees of a Hyderabad-based company were arrested in New York City last week in connection with the case.

Islamist outfits

The report also referred to Islamist extremists including the ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), which has had links with Al Qaeda.