FENTANYL: CARTELS' SCARIEST AND MOST INNOVATIVE PRODUCT YET
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Authors
Thompson, Lacey
Subjects
cartel
fentanyl
innovation
drug trafficking
opioid
painkiller
synthetic
war on drugs
counter-narcotics
counter-drug
cocaine
heroin
criminal organization
business model
illegal drug
black market
Mexican cartel
Colombian cartel
supply and demand
fentanyl
innovation
drug trafficking
opioid
painkiller
synthetic
war on drugs
counter-narcotics
counter-drug
cocaine
heroin
criminal organization
business model
illegal drug
black market
Mexican cartel
Colombian cartel
supply and demand
Advisors
Looney, Robert E.
Date of Issue
2019-12
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Opioid dependence in the United States has reached unprecedented levels, having risen substantially since 2012. Fentanyl’s contribution to the opioid epidemic has been of particular concern and has caught the attention of the highest levels of the U.S. government. Despite the federal government’s efforts to address opioid dependence and to combat the trafficking of illicit fentanyl into the United States, deaths involving synthetic opioids continue to rise. While myriad news and medical articles on fentanyl have been published—especially as media coverage of the opioid epidemic increases—a major gap exists in non-medical scholarly research on the substance. This research fills that gap by providing a single repository of some of the most pertinent information on fentanyl. It answers the following questions: What is fentanyl? What is its relationship to the ongoing opioid crisis? How and why did cartels incorporate fentanyl into their business model? By answering these questions, this research provides policymakers and law enforcement officials with sufficient information to properly gauge the scope and intricacies of illicit fentanyl trafficking so that they may develop effective counter-strategies for this complex problem set.
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Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
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NPS Report Number
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Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.