You are correct, and I'm surprised at the backlash. Nearly all of the illegal fentanyl in the country has an origin in China, when captured and traced. Personally, it doesn't surprise me, as I imagine it's China getting back at the West over the Opium Wars. As horrible as it is, there is a certain amount of logic to the act, especially if considered from the perspective of societal scale destabilization.

The US has done similar things in the past, including against our own citizens. The CIA helped cartels traffick cocaine and started the crack epidemic amongst black communities in the US. It shouldn't surprise anyone that a state actor is involved in driving and deepening the opioid epidemic.

You make good points. It would be interesting to compare the rate of fentanyl fatalities inside China to countries across the ocean where you have that extra layer of challenges getting the illegal precursor chemicals over oceans, across borders etc.

What is astonishing to me is the almost seeming complete apathy on this problem within the US. An average of 300 deaths a day you would have thought would be elevated to the highest level. I mean, for example, why would you allow a country that is facilitating this kind of carnage to run their social media businesses within your borders?

It's not a conspiracy. China makes fentanyl, ships some to Mexican cartels, and actually helps the cartels launder their money through Chinese bank accounts. No US jurisdiction there.