(Natural News) Opioid drugs have laid waste to the United States, there is no doubt about that. Over 47,000 people die an opioid-related death annually, and estimates suggest that half of those people died using a synthetic opioid known as “fentanyl.” While the corrupt pharmaceutical industry may have created the prescription opioid epidemic, experts say that the surge in fentanyl overdoses can be traced back to China. A shocking report from The Epoch Times reveals a sinister plot of slow-kill “chemical warfare” perpetrated by a foreign power.

China has already been named as the “largest supplier” of illicit fentanyl to the U.S. And at the end of August, a drug bust led by Virginia law enforcement reportedly captured enough illegal Chinese fentanyl to kill 14 million people. Thirty-nine people were arrested in relation to the drugs. This was not a small operation by any means. And if experts are right, the massive influx of fentanyl is all part of a covert attack on U.S. soil.

Fentanyl as a weapon?

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Chinese and Russian strategy researcher Jeff Nyquist cations that the heavy flow of fentanyl into the United States is no accident. And according to Nyquist, China is using fentanyl as a “very effective tool.” The painkiller is as addictive as it is lethal — calling it a “weapon” might be more appropriate — and Nyquist seems to agree.

“You could call it a form of chemical warfare,” Nyquist says.

“It opens up a number of opportunities for the penetration of the country, both in terms of laundering money and in terms of blackmail against those who participate in the trade and become corrupt like law enforcement, intelligence, and government officials,” he explains further.

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China also reportedly uses the money made from importing fentanyl to “influence political parties” here in the United States.

“It opens doors for Chinese influence operations, Chinese People’s Liberation Army, and intelligence services, so that they can get control of certain parts of the U.S.,” Nyquist explains.

The problem of fentanyl has gotten so bad that the Department of Homeland Security even considered labeling it a “weapon of mass destruction” this past spring. According to a leaked internal memo, DHS has “long regarded” fentanyl as a potential “chemical weapons threat.” According to reports, the memo also said that fentanyl would be considered a WMD “when certain conditions are met.”

Pharmaceuticals of mass destruction

Per the memo, federal authorities believe that the high toxicity and increased availability of the drug make it “attractive” to potential enemies who might be looking for an “unconventional” approach to war. Fentanyl is an incredibly powerful drug; it is 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Officials say just two to three milligrams of the stuff is enough to induce respiratory depression, respiratory arrest or even death. In other words, this stuff is no joke.

President Trump has repeatedly criticized the Chinese government for not doing enough to stop fentanyl from flowing into the United States. Last year, the president signed bipartisan legislation intended to help combat the opioid epidemic. Unfortunately, it appears that fentanyl is still being sent to the United States from China through ordinary mail carriers such as the United States Post Office, FedEx and Amazon. The Trump administration is reportedly trying to keep fentanyl and its precursor chemicals from being circulated through the mail and is working to crack down on Chinese fentanyl.

Learn more about the dangers of opioids and more at Opioids.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

TheEpochTimes.com

CDC.gov