U.S. Warns of New Deadly Synthetic Opioid From China

U.S. authorities are warning about a new synthetic opioid — nitazenes — which experts say can be up to 50 times stronger than fentanyl. These substances are increasingly found on the black market, often disguised as counterfeit pills resembling Xanax or Percocet.

Frank Tarentino, head of the DEA’s New York Division, said the drug originates from China and is being used by cartels. “Criminal organizations are deliberately adding nitazenes to boost the high, speed up addiction, and increase profits,” he explained.

The danger is greater because overdoses involving nitazenes are harder to reverse: higher doses of naloxone are needed. Most recent cases have been reported along the U.S. East Coast.

According to the National Drug Early Warning System, from January 2023 to April 2025, nitazenes were linked to more than 18,000 overdoses. In the Houston area alone, 11 deaths have been confirmed in 18 months, including among teenagers.

Originally developed in the 1950s as research drugs, nitazenes only appeared on the illicit market in 2019, first in Europe, then in the U.S. They have since become an alternative to fentanyl, which faces growing law enforcement crackdowns.

President Donald Trump has made the fentanyl crisis a top priority, tightening sanctions on China and Mexico. Congress passed the HALT Fentanyl Act, increasing penalties for synthetic opioid trafficking.

Experts warn these substances are easy to produce with online recipes and a trained chemist. “There’s always a new drug on the horizon,” said Dr. Stephen Loyd of West Virginia. “The only real solution is treating people and reducing demand — otherwise supply will always meet it.”