No Tempest in a Teacup: Fentanyl Trafficking as a Threat to United States’ Security and Its Geopolitical Implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70710/sitj.v2i4.71Keywords:
Fentanyl, Geopolitics, Security, Transnational Crime, USAbstract
Drug trafficking is one of globalization's rotten fruits that the United States (US) has struggled against as it has witnessed 4 waves of opioid epidemic. Chief among the trafficked drugs is fentanyl that caused more than 100.000 in the last two years. Its crossboundary nature, how they originate from outside the US, makes it intricate to solve as it would require a holistic approach. Against that backdrop, this study seeks to provide a security understanding of the issue and its geopolitical repercussions for the US. The writers employ the qualitative research method that entails the use of both primary and secondary data procured from the internet. The article begins with an elaboration of how fentanyl trafficking poses a threat to the security of the US. Here, fentanyl trafficking falls under the non-traditional threat with a far-reaching security implication, especially in the national and human sense. Following that, the geopolitical repercussions of this transnational threat is discussed. Among them is how the issue has riled up the US relations with Mexico and China. Finally, an overview of the existing means to deal with the problem is provided along with some suggestions as to the path ahead.
Downloads
References
Buzan, B. (2007). People, States & fear: an Agenda for International Security Studies in the post-Cold War Era. Ecpr Press.
Camhaji, E. (2023, June 2). China rejects US economic sanctions over fentanyl crisis: “They are trying to blame us for their own problems.” EL PAÍS English. https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-02/china-rejects-us-economic-sanctions-over-fentanyl-crisis-they-are-trying-to-blame-us-for-their-own-problems.html
CDC. (2024, April 2). Fentanyl Facts. Stop Overdose. https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/fentanyl-facts.html
Correa-Cabrera, Guadalupe . (2024, November 23). The Dangerous Narrative of the “War on Cartels” - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/11/23/the-dangerous-narrative-of-the-war-on-cartels/
Compton, W. M., & Jones, C. M. (2019). Epidemiology of the U.S. opioid crisis: the importance of the vector. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1451(1), 130–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14209
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative & mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). Sage.
Das, G. (1993). Cocaine Abuse in North America: a Milestone in History. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 33(4), 296–310. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1552-4604.1993.tb04661.x
DEA. (2023, May 5). DEA Operation Last Mile Tracks Down Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartel Associates Operating within the United States. Www.dea.gov. https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2023/05/05/dea-operation-last-mile-tracks-down-sinaloa-and-jalisco-cartel-associates
DEA. (2024). National Drug Threat Assessment 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment 2024 Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Enforcement Administration. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/NDTA_2024.pdf
Drug Enforcement Administration . (2020). Fentanyl Flow to the United States DEA Intelligence Report. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf
US Embassy in Chile (2024, March 21). Fentanyl Precursor Scheduling at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Embassy in Chile. https://cl.usembassy.gov/fentanyl-precursor-scheduling-at-the-un-commission-on-narcotic-drugs/
Florence, C., Luo, F., & Rice, K. (2020). The Economic Burden of Opioid Use Disorder and Fatal Opioid Overdose in the United States, 2017. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 218(108350). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108350
Forest, J. (2020, September 16). Globalization and Transnational Crime. E-International Relations. https://www.e-ir.info/2020/09/16/globalization-and-transnational-crime/
Freking, K. (2024, April 16). House panel says China subsidizes fentanyl production to fuel crisis in the United States. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/china-fentanyl-congress-committee-759871aae29d286361255f29bb221ba9
Friedman, J., Bourgois, P., Godvin, M., Chavez, A., Pacheco, L., Segovia, L., Beletsky, L., & Arredondo, J. (2022). The introduction of fentanyl on the US–Mexico border: An ethnographic account triangulated with drug checking data from Tijuana. International Journal of Drug Policy, 104(Volume 104, June 2022, 103678), 103678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103678
Harkrisnowo, H. (2021). Transnational Organized Crime: dalam Perspektif Hukum Pidana dan Kriminologi. Indonesian Journal of International Law, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.17304/ijil.vol1.2.408
Jalali, M. S., Botticelli, M., Hwang, R. C., Koh, H. K., & McHugh, R. K. (2020). The opioid crisis: A contextual, social-ecological framework. Health Research Policy and Systems, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-020-00596-8
Kandall, S. R., and Chavkin, W. (1991). "Illicit drugs in America: History, impact on women and infants, and treatment strategies for women." Hastings LJ 43 (1991): 615.
Murphy, J., & Yousif, N. (2024, December 5). Trump tariff threat puts a strain on Canada-Mexico ties. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3lznerryqo
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024, August 21). Drug Overdose Death Rates. National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
O’Boyle, B. (2023, March 9). Mexico president rejects “irresponsible” calls for US military action against cartels. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-president-rejects-us-lawmakers-calls-military-intervention-against-2023-03-09/
Pardo, B., & Reuter, P. (2020). Enforcement Strategies for Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids THE OPIOID CRISIS IN AMERICA Domestic and International Dimensions. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/5_Pardo-Reuter_final.pdf
Pascual, I. (2021, June 29). America’s War on Drugs — 50 Years Later. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. https://civilrights.org/blog/americas-war-on-drugs-50-years-later/
Pfeiffer, C., & Berg, R. C. (2024, July 24). China in Mexico and the United States’ Strategy for Countering It. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/07/24/china-mexico-united-states-partnership-infrastructure-investment/
Politi, A. (2017, May 18). European Security: the new transnational risks. European Union Institute for Security Studies. https://www.iss.europa.eu/publications/chaillot-papers/european-security-new-transnational-risks
Rudd, R. A., Seth, P., David, F., & Scholl, L. (2016). Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2010–2015. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 65(5051), 1445–1452. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm655051e1
SAMHSA. (2024). Biden-Harris Administration Marks Two Years of Advancements in HHS’ Overdose Prevention Strategy with New Actions to Treat Addiction and Save Lives. Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/20240201/biden-harris-administration-marks-two-years-advancements-hhs-overdose-prevention-strategy-new-actions-treat-addiction-save-lives
Sim, I., Kelley, S., Wojcik, J., Shin, S. J., & Watson, M. D. (2024). Transnational Organized Crime in the Pacific: Expansion, Challenges and Impact. https://www.unodc.org/roseap/uploads/documents/2024/TOCTA_Pacific_2024.pdf
Srinivas, H. (2019). Human Security: Seven Categories. Gdrc.org. https://www.gdrc.org/sustdev/husec/z-categories.html
Sugiyono, S. (2017). Metode Penelitian Pendidikan : (pendekatan kuantitatif, Kualitatif Dan R & D). Alfabeta.
Sussex, M., Clarke, M., & Medcalf, R. (2017). National security: between Theory and Practice. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 71(5), 474–478. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2017.1347139
The Guardian. (2024, December 4). Mexico says Canada wishes it had its “cultural riches” amid tariffs feud. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/04/mexico-canada-trump-tariffs-feud
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. (2019). Framework to Counter Drug Trafficking and Other Illicit Threat Networks. https://policy.defense.gov/Portals/11/Documents/DoD%20Framework%20to%20Counter%20Drug%20Trafficking%20and%20Other%20Illicit%20Threat%20Networks%20May%202019.pdf
United States Drug Enforcement Administration. (2021, April 29). Facts about Fentanyl. DEA. https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl
UNODC. (2009). A CENTURY OF INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/100_Years_of_Drug_Control.pdf
US Congress. (2023, March 1). The Fentanyl Crisis in America: Inaction is No Longer an Option. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/event/118th-congress/house-event/115371/text
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (2021, December 15). Drug Seizure Statistics. U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Customs and Border Protection. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/drug-seizure-statistics
US Embassy & Consulates in China. (2024, August 7). U.S.-PRC Counternarcotics Working Group Progress on Illicit Synthetic Drugs Including Fentanyl. U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China. https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/u-s-prc-counternarcotics-working-group-progress-on-illicit-synthetic-drugs-including-fentanyl/
White House. (2016, November 30). FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Marks Progress in Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment, Recovery, and Research. Whitehouse.gov. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/11/30/fact-sheet-obama-administration-marks-progress-substance-use-disorder
Wolf, C., Bondi, P., Jindal, B., & Conway, K. (2023). Combating Fentanyl. In America First Policy Institute (p. 11). America First Policy Institute. https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/combating-fentanyl-the-america-first-action-plan
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Security Intelligence Terrorism Journal (SITJ)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
