Mexican cartels and criminals are the leading producers of illegal synthetic drugs. This shift is fuelling the latest phase in America’s opioid crisis.
00:00 - The growing market of illicit synthetic drugs
01:05 - Mexico’s booming production of illegal fentanyl
02:22 - The third wave of America's opioid crisis
03:56 - What are the costs of illicit fentanyl production?
04:53 - How is illegal fentanyl manufactured?
05:33 - What is China’s role?
06:51 - How dangerous is producing fentanyl?
07:53 - Why have cartels turned to fentanyl?
09:33 - Why are fentanyl pills so popular?
11:39 - The gig economy and illicit drug production
12:51 - How is fentanyl production democratising Mexico’s drug market?
Sign up to our daily newsletter to keep up to date: https://econ.st/3n3kIjj
Why have Black Americans overtaken white victims in opioid death rates? https://econ.st/3N5xgBs
How does naloxone reverse opioid overdoses? https://econ.st/3O4uE8d
How are Latin American politicians dealing with the war on drugs? https://econ.st/3OklHHv
How did Latin American drug cartels overcome pandemic supply-chain problems? https://econ.st/3Opv88T
Is drug trafficking to blame for violence in Latin America? https://econ.st/3xXG0p4
The deficiencies of the Latin American state loom large https://econ.st/3xZ9jHC