China, India named 'primary source' of illicit fentanyl inputs in the US: Threat Assessment Report

As US President Donald Trump unleashes a crackdown on Fentanyl smuggling at US borders, a recent threat assessment report published by the country revealed China and India are involved in the illegal business. The revelation was made in the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment Report (ATA) which was released on Tuesday by the US Intelligence Community’s (IC) official.

The report assesses an array of threats to US citizens, the homeland, and US interests in the world. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids remain the most lethal drugs trafficked into the United States. The drug has managed to cause more than 52,000 US deaths in 12 months, ending in October 2024.

After coming back to the White House, Trump has been adamant about cracking down on the illegal import of the drug, linking it with tariff adjustments against some nations. The report published on Tuesday named India and China as “sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers and the primary source countries for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment.”

The report throws light on the criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking

The report mentioned that some transnational criminal organisations (TCOs) are producing and trafficking large amounts of illicit drugs affecting countless American lives and livelihoods.

Mexico-based TCOs remain the dominant producers and suppliers of illicit drugs for the US market, it said. “Non-state groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly, by state actors, such as China and India as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers… China remains the primary source country for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment, followed by India,” the report furthered.

Another interesting aspect of the report was that it mentions that anti-India elements are a threat to the United States as well due to their historic links with Al Qaeda which was responsible for the devastating 9/11. “TTP’s capabilities, historical ties to al-Qa‘ida, and previous support to operations targeting the United States keep us concerned about the potential future threat. Anti-India groups, including Lashkar-e Tayyiba, similarly concern us in part because of their historical links with al-Qa‘ida,” the threat assessment report suggested.

In the report, India was mentioned in only these two contexts.