United States Attorney Habba Launches the District Of New Jersey’s Fentanyl Precursor Interception Strike Force

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba announced today the creation and launch of the District of New Jersey’s Fentanyl Precursor Interception (FPI) Strike Force.  Capitalizing on the Office’s preeminence in opioid enforcement, the Strike Force will focus on investigating, prosecuting, and dismantling overseas chemical manufacturers, including those in China, that support Mexican Cartels by flooding our nation’s borders with the precursors used to manufacture deadly fentanyl.

“I am establishing this Strike Force to cut off the supply of chemical precursors that drug cartels rely on to manufacture deadly fentanyl.  The District of New Jersey will harness its significant experience in pursing those who contribute to the opioid crisis, to break apart every link in the fentanyl supply chain.  The mission of the Strike Force is to stop this deadly poison from entering our borders, and to bring to justice the overseas chemical manufacturers that fuel the cartels.”

- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

“As we know, fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing the United States, which claimed the lives of over 106,000 Americans in 2023,” stated Special Agent in charge Cheryl Ortiz of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Field Division. “We welcome United States Attorney Habba’s creation of the District of New Jersey’s Fentanyl Precursor Interception (FPI) Strike Force and look forward to working with her and our law enforcement partners in battling this opioid epidemic. Any chance at stopping the flow of these precursor chemicals from reaching our communities, helps save lives.”  

The manufacture of fentanyl begins with raw chemicals, known as precursors.  Many fentanyl precursors are manufactured and distributed by China-based chemical companies.  These manufacturers ship fentanyl precursors around the world, including to the United States.  The precursors are then trafficked to Mexico, where drug cartels combine the chemicals and then distribute fentanyl to individual users, smuggling it across our border and throughout the United States. 

The flow of fentanyl into the United States has created a public health crisis, caused devastation to American families, and brought violence to our communities.  This Office, alongside the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, New Jersey, will work tirelessly to stem the tide of fentanyl that cartels send into our country and to keep our communities safe.