![(Background) Kash Patel takes his seat as he arrives for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be FBI Director, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, January 30, 2025. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) / (R) CORRECTION / A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chemist checks tablets believed to be laced with fentanyl at the DEA Northeast Regional Laboratory on October 8, 2019 in New York. According to US government data, about 32,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2018. That accounts for 46 percent of all fatal overdoses. Fentanyl, a powerful painkiller approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for a range of conditions, has been central to the American opioid crisis which began in the late 1990s. (Photo by Don EMMERT / AFP) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Don EMMERT has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [tablets believed to be laced with fentanyl] instead of [confiscated powder containing fentanyl]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require." (Photo by DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-2025-09-03T170749.847-800x480.png)
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the federal indictments of 22 Chinese nationals, four China-based chemical companies, and three Americans for their role in a fentanyl supply chain. The discovery was made possible in part by Operation Box Cutter.
Read More FBI indicts 3 Americans, 22 Chinese nationals and 4 chemical companies after seizing ‘Enough fentanyl to kill 70M Americans’
In a stark warning to “narco-terrorists,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed that the United States will continue to target major drug traffickers, as seen in the recent strike on a Venezuelan drug boat holding Tren de Aragua (TdA) members in the Caribbean.
Read More Hegseth vows more U.S. strikes on narco-terrorists following TdA boat attack in the Caribbean
Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolás Maduro accused the United States on Monday of attempting to force regime change in his country — denouncing a U.S. naval buildup in the Caribbean as a direct threat to his “stolen” government.
Read More Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolás Maduro accuses U.S. of seeking regime change
Mexican cartel boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia pleaded guilty on Monday to federal charges stemming from his role as a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel. The charges include drug trafficking, money laundering, and other firearms offenses.
Read More Mexican Cartel boss ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Garcia enters guilty plea to drug trafficking in U.S.
New Mexico Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency in one of her state’s counties, citing ongoing violence, drug trafficking, and rising crime that she says are straining local resources.
Read More N.M. Democrat Gov. declares State of Emergency over rising crime, drug use: ‘Overwhelmed local resources’
President Donald Trump announced that he and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have agreed to postpone the U.S. tariff hike by 90 days, extending their negotiation window beyond the previous August 1st deadline.
Read More Trump announces 90-day tariff delay on Mexico after a ‘very successful’ talk with President Claudia Sheinbaum