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Director Sara Carter of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy told Newsmax this week that Washington has seen “some progress” from China on stopping the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals, but she was blunt: “we need more progress” from the Chinese Communist Party and “everyone else.” That short interview shines a bright light on what should be the simple goal: block the chemicals before they reach U.S. streets and end the tidal wave of overdoses.
Some progress, not enough
Director Carter has been clear in public remarks from the UN floor to TV interviews that the United States wants measurable results — seizures, arrests and convictions — not just press releases. She even said the chemicals are “manufactured by the millions of tons in China,” and that the administration has been “very clear” with China and other countries. Yes, Chinese authorities have announced enforcement actions and some arrests. But Washington wants sustained, verifiable law‑enforcement outcomes. A few headlines and a photo op are not the same thing as shutting down the labs and supply chains.
Why seizures and convictions matter
Talk is cheap. Fentanyl and its precursor chemicals are killing Americans every day, and the math is obvious: fewer precursors out of foreign labs should mean fewer deadly pills at home. The administration’s 2026 National Drug Control Strategy leans on diplomacy plus enforcement, and that’s the right mix — but the emphasis has to be on real, repeatable enforcement. Seizures, prosecutions and convictions send the message that traffickers will lose everything, and they give U.S. law enforcement evidence to break networks, not just watch them regroup.
Beyond China: India and the wider supply chain
Carter also warned that pressure extends beyond China to India and other countries that allow chemicals to leave their shores. The White House has launched a U.S.–India drug‑policy working group and is pushing partners to close loopholes in manufacturing and export controls. This is smart: the precursor problem is a global supply‑chain problem, and diplomacy plus cooperation matters. Still, the United States must insist that partners produce verifiable results, not bureaucratic statements that someone, somewhere, did something.
What Washington should do next
Fine words from the podium are a start. What comes next should be tougher. Demand transparent evidence of seizures and prosecutions, target the labs and bank accounts that profit from death, tighten export controls, and work with tech and shipping firms to choke off the trade routes. And to our friends in Beijing: stop treating “some progress” like a participation trophy. If the administration wants to stop the fentanyl slaughter, it should keep pressing allies and use every tool to make those words mean something real. Otherwise, “some progress” will look like the political version of rearranging deck chairs while lives are lost.
