Tracking fentanyl’s deadly path from China to Mexico to ODs in America

Fentanyl and other synthetic opiates were responsible for more than 71,000 fatal overdoses in the United States during 2021, according to the California Department of Health.

There is good reason for that grim statistic: Fentanyl, which often gets mixed into heroin or cocaine, not to mention bootlegged Oxycontin and Xanax pills, is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine. It’s also cheaper to produce than either of those drugs.

In 2022, a record-setting 14,700 pounds of fentanyl shipments was seized by US Customs and Border Protection agents; this year alone, there’s...