Washington, 18 September 2025.- On Monday, September 15, President Donald Trump transmitted to Congress the list of 23 countries considered to be major producers or transit points of illicit drugs to the United States. Five of them: Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia and Venezuela are accused of having " flagrantly failed" to fulfil their international obligations to combat drugs.
In an official statement, the White House states that the presence of a country on this list does not necessarily mean a lack of cooperation, but mainly reflects geographical, economic and commercial factors that favour traffic. This list includes Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, India, Pakistan and China.
However, the U.S. President pointed at some countries. In Colombia, he accuses Gustavo Petro's government of letting the coca culture reach record levels. In Venezuela, he denounces Nicolás Maduro's regime as leading a vast cocaine trafficking network. In Afghanistan, despite the announcement by the Taliban to ban drugs, production and trafficking continue, financing criminal and terrorist groups.
The declaration also highlights China's central role in the export of chemical precursors used in the manufacture of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, as well as Mexico's increased efforts to dismantle cartels, while calling on the country to do more.
Trump recalled that the opioids crisis remains the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 44, with more than 200 deaths a day in 2024. He claims to have strengthened border security, intensified cooperation with his neighbours and imposed new sanctions, including punitive tariffs against China, in order to "save lives and protect the nation".
W.A.
