The Hill: Following massacre of Americans, we need a new strategy to defeat drug cartels

Dr. Singh and Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) jointly published an op-ed for The Hill on the role of illicit substances in the opioid crisis. The article discusses new strategies to tackle the opioid epidemic and trade-based money laundering.

Members of a Mexican drug cartel recently massacred American women and children in broad daylight. The attack was a tragic reminder that cartels continue to run rampant, leaving a trail of violence, sorrow and death. Traditional methods of eliminating these criminal organizations have not solved the problem. We need a new strategy that targets how these dangerous organizations fund their illegal activities. In the meantime, these cartels continue to fuel a public health crisis with 60,000 Americans dying each year to overdose and many more losing their livelihood to violence and addiction-related to illicit drugs.

Criminals use a practice known as trade-based money laundering (TBML) to move illegal goods and money funding their operation. It’s how drug cartels traffic both drugs and people. It is how rogue nations get around international sanctions and how the black market continues to thrive under our noses, and it’s why people keep dying.

Continue reading on The Hill.