By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

As the Trump administration is ramping up operations to target narco terrorists in Latin America, FBI Director Kash Patel briefed reporters on his recent trip to China in an effort to curb the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

Following President Donald Trump’s meeting last month with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Xi agreed to do more to crack down on the flow of the precursors used to produce fentanyl, the U.S. reduced the tariffs it imposed on China due to the production of the drug.

Patel credited Trump for shutting “off the pipeline that creates fentanyl,” responsible for killing thousands of Americans.

Patel, who met with his Chinese counterpart during his visit, said the Chinese government has agreed to stop the flow of fentanyl precursors, adding that the communist country will be taking steps to prevent the production of chemicals used to make the deadly drug.

“The People’s Republic of China has fully designated and listed all 13 precursors utilized to make fentanyl. Furthermore, they have agreed to control seven chemical subsidiaries that are also utilized to produce this lethal drug. Effective immediately,” Patel told reporters during a White House press briefing. “These substances are now banned, and they will no longer be utilized by the Mexican drug trafficking organizations or any other DTOs around the world to make this drug. This historic achievement has saved tens of thousands of lives.”

Patel said the negotiations have been in the works for months, with Attorney General Pam Bondi engaging with her Chinese counterpart, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his counterpart, to “set forward a path to implement the policy needed to crush the plague of fentanyl.”

The director noted that nearly 100,000 people died as a result of fentanyl overdoses last year alone. He said that since Trump took office in January, the FBI has “seized 1,900 kilograms of fentanyl,” adding that it is a “31% increase from the same time period last year.”

“To put it in perspective, that’s enough fentanyl to kill 127 million Americans. Fentanyl precursors are what makes up fentanyl,” Patel explained.

“That was the sole purpose of my trip to China, to eliminate these precursors, and if successful, we would suffocate the drug trafficking organization’s ability to manufacture fentanyl in places like Mexico,” the director continued.

The update from Patel comes amid a growing military presence in Latin America to target suspected narco terrorists.

Fentanyl took center stage during Trump’s meeting with Xi in South Korea last month, with the president seemingly satisfied with their meeting, agreeing to slice tariffs in half.

“I’ve agreed, as you know, I put a 20% tariff on China because of the fentanyl coming in, it’s a big tariff, and based on [Xi’s] statements today, I reduced it by 10%, so it’s 10% instead of 20% effective immediately. I believe he’s going to work very hard to stop the death that’s coming in,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on his way back to Washington.

However, the president added that the situation is complex due to the legitimate medical uses for the precursors of the opioid.

“We agreed that he was going to work very hard to stop the flow. You know, it’s a very complex subject, because it’s used for lots of different reasons, including anesthetics. But he’s going to work very hard on its precursors. And I think you’re going to see some real action taken,” Trump added.