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By Mandy Taheri
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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel told podcaster Joe Rogan during a Friday episode that the agency is working with the Indian government to dismantle global fentanyl networks, which he said originated in China.
Newsweek has reached out to the FBI's press office and the Indian Government's Ministry of External Affairs for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has made combating the opioid crisis, particularly the influx of illicit fentanyl, a central focus of his administration's policies. Earlier this year, to address the sources of fentanyl trafficking, Trump imposed tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada. There are some legitimate medical uses for fentanyl.
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The opioid crisis has far-reaching impacts across the country. In 2024, the United States witnessed a significant decrease in opioid-related overdose deaths, dropping from 110,037 in 2023 to 80,391 in 2024, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Rogan, host of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, is one of the most-listened-to media figures, drawing an audience of roughly 11 million listeners.
What To Know
Patel told Rogan that when he joined the bureau, he launched a "massive enterprise" to target companies in China that manufacture "fentanyl precursors." He said that while China may not produce the drug in its final form, it supplies the key ingredients used to make fentanyl, calling the country the "root of the problem."
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which provides recommendations to Congress, stated in an August 2021 finding that "China remains the primary country of origin for illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States."
Patel said during the interview with Rogan that the country has been shipping the precursors "to places like India—and I'm also doing operations in India—and they're having the Mexican cartels now make this fentanyl down in Mexico."
In March, the Chinese government published a white paper laying out its purported efforts to crack down on fentanyl trade and hit back at U.S. criticism as Washington imposed tariffs over the issue.
"I literally just got off the phone with the Indian government, I said: 'I need your help. This stuff's coming into your country and then they're moving it from your country because India's not consuming fentanyl...I need you and your help,'" the FBI director told Rogan.
He explained the FBI is "working with the heads of their [the Indian] government, law enforcement authorities to say, 'We're going to find these companies that buy it and we're going to shut them down. We're going to sanction them; we're going to arrest them where we can. We're going to indict them in America if we can. We're going to indict them in India if we can.'"
He reiterated that "this is a global problem."
Patel said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) isn't partaking in the trade for profitability reasons, but rather, "in my opinion, the CCP have used it as a directed approach because we are their adversary...And their long-term game is how do I, in my opinion, kneecap the United States of America, our largest adversary?" suggesting that the drug allows them to "take out generations of young men and women."
Tensions between Washington and Beijing have been high over a slew of issues, including tariff policies and national security issues.
In May, federal authorities arrested 16 individuals and seized over 400 kilograms of the drug in the largest fentanyl bust in Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) history.
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What People Are Saying
Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Newsweek in an email: "The accusations against China you mentioned are totally groundless and are slanders against China. China firmly opposes this. As early as 2019, at the request of the U.S., China took the lead globally in officially scheduling fentanyl substances as a class. In recent years, China has carried out special network cleanup operations across the country and carried out regular network inspections.
"At the same time, China has worked closely with US law enforcement agencies to jointly investigate a number of major cases and made positive progress. The abuse of fentanyl in the U.S. is a problem that the U.S. must face and solve. Out of humanitarianism and friendship with the American people, China has taken strong measures to help deal with the fentanyl problem, and has carried out extensive and in-depth cooperation with the U.S., and has achieved remarkable results."
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC in mid-May: "I have a personal stake in this. There are two very close friends [who] lost children to this terrible scourge. Hundreds of thousands of Americans die every year. And I think that we saw here in Geneva the Chinese are now serious about assisting the U.S. in stopping the flow of precursor drugs."
President Donald Trump wrote in an April 24 Truth Social post: "...By the way, Fentanyl continues to pour into our Country from China, through Mexico and Canada, killing hundreds of thousands of our people, and it better stop, NOW!"
What Happens Next?
It is unclear what the partnership looks like, but according to Patel, it is ongoing.
Update 6/11/25, 10:50 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with Pengyu's comment.
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