Where is fentanyl being produced in the USA?

Though there is some pharmaceutical fentanyl being diverted from the legitimate market, the DEA said that makes up “only a small portion of the ... how “China's illicit chemical production and inefficient U.S. and international counternarcotic efforts” created the stark increase in fentanyl-related deaths. read more

1 UPDATE 6: 30 pm Eastern, 3/1/17: This story has been updated to reflect the DEA's knowledge of fentanyl production in Mexico; fentanyl precursors are made in China and shipped to some labs in Mexico, then put together and smuggled to the US. read more

Fentanyl was first made by Paul Janssen in 1960 and approved for medical use in the United States in 1968. In 2015, 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb) were used in healthcare globally. As of 2017, fentanyl was the most widely used synthetic opioid in medicine. read more