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US Official Warns of New Deadly Synthetic Opioid From China

States on the East Coast have been particularly hard-hit by the latest synthetic opioid, but the drug is also making an impact on states such as Texas.
US Official Warns of New Deadly Synthetic Opioid From China
Frank A. Tarentino III, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, speaks at the fourth annual National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day in New York City, on Aug. 21, 2025. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times
Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Senior Reporter
9/13/2025|Updated: 9/14/2025
0:00

U.S. authorities are warning of a new synthetic opioid from China that can be up to 50 times more potent than fentanyl.

Nitazenes pose an emerging threat because they are more resistant to naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. They are often mixed with other drugs and delivered in the form of counterfeit pills mimicking drugs such as Xanax or Percocet, according to authorities.

Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Senior Reporter
Darlene McCormick Sanchez is an Epoch Times reporter who covers border security and immigration, election integrity, and Texas politics. Ms. McCormick Sanchez has 20 years of experience in media and has worked for outlets including Waco Tribune Herald, Tampa Tribune, and Waterbury Republican-American. She was a finalist for a Pulitzer prize for investigative reporting.
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