Drug That Killed Prince Is Making Mexican Cartels Richer, U.S. Says
By
Azam Ahmed
MEXICO CITY — The drug that killed
Prince has become a favorite of Mexican cartels because it is extremely potent, popular in the United States — and immensely profitable, American officials say.
Law enforcement and border authorities in the United States warn that Mexican cartels are using their own labs to produce the drug,
fentanyl, as well as receiving shipments from China. Then the cartels distribute the substance through their vast smuggling networks to meet rising American
demand for opiates and pharmaceuticals.
“It is really the next migration of the cartels in terms of making profit,” said Jack Riley, acting deputy administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “This goes to the heart of the marketing genius of the cartels. They saw this coming.”