China involved in ‘asymmetrical warfare’ against U.S. through fentanyl trafficking, Rep. Fallon says

Rep. Pat Fallon said China is using the drug fentanyl to wage an asymmetrical war against the U.S. — and the Texas Republican criticized President Biden for failing to hold Chinese President Xi Jinping accountable.

Referencing new Homeland Security numbers announced Friday evening before the holiday weekend, Mr. Fallon, a House Armed Services Committee member, appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” and said that Mr. Biden has “empowered” the drug cartels that control the illegal smuggling of fentanyl from China to Mexico to the U.S.

“It’s a de facto open border right now. We have 160 countries represented by people that have been crossing the border illegally. We caught 98 people on the terrorist watchlist. Drugs and the cartels,” he said. “It’s unbelievable the policies that Joe Biden put in place to empower the cartels.”

Mr. Fallon noted that authorities have seized 28,000 pounds of fentanyl since Mr. Biden has been in office. About 107,000 Americans have died in the past year due to opioid overdoses — 80,000 to fentanyl.

“Most of the fentanyl is made in China and ferried through Mexico,” he said. “This is asymmetrical warfare being waged by the Communist Chinese on our country and Joe Biden doesn’t have the guts to even bring it up to Xi Jinping when he talks to him.”

Discussions with the Chinese about fentanyl with U.S. officials at the Drug Enforcement Administration and State Department, The Wall Street Journal reported, have ceased according to Biden administration officials and Rep. David Trone, a Maryland Democrat who recently co-chair of a federal commission on opioid trafficking.

According to the newspaper, Mr. Trone said he spoke with China’s ambassador to the U.S. in March and May and Chinese security officials in July through a virtual meeting. However, following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s August visit to Taiwan, which angered the Chinese Communist government, the talks were cut off.