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April 11 (UPI) -- The Biden administration said Tuesday it was taking steps to crack down on fentanyl supply chains by increasing sanctions and expanding cooperation with global partners. The primary mission is to go after traffickers to stem the enormous quantity of illegal drugs coming into the United States, which the administration describes as a growing threat to national security, the White House said in a statement.
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The administration said it would aim to increase measures, including financial sanctions, meant to cripple illicit financial activities that fund drug-trafficking operations.
"Drug traffickers, who are primarily driven by profits, require significant funds to operate their illicit supply chains," the statement said.
Cartels have also infiltrated lawful global commercial distribution networks, which had served to advance a worldwide criminal enterprise, the White House said.
As part of this effort, the administration said it is working to build a "global coalition" that will focus on working to "prevent illicit drug manufacturing, detect emerging drug threats, disrupt trafficking, address illicit finance and respond to public safety and public health impacts."
"This global coalition will develop solutions, drive national actions and create synergies and leverage among like-minded countries who agree that countering illicit synthetic drugs must be a global policy priority," the White House said.
The administration said it has disrupted the drug trade by partnering with other countries at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs and getting nearly a dozen precursor chemicals outlawed worldwide.
President Joe Biden will also continue to urge Congress to support the effort by approving a $46.1 billion investment in the National Drug Control Program agencies.
The program, which is part of Biden's fiscal 2024 budget, would be overseen by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Biden was aiming to deliver on his previous commitment to fulfill a National Drug Control Strategy, laid out during his State of the Union speech in January, which focuses on two critical drivers of the current epidemic -- untreated addiction and drug trafficking, the White House said.
Biden's plan calls on Congress to close a loophole that has allowed fentanyl to evade federal regulation.
The administration has enacted several drug control and enforcement measures to expand treatment and recovery services, fight crime and increase federal partnerships in the private sector.
The government has also stepped up law enforcement efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking, with federal agents using new inspection and screening technology to make historic fentanyl seizures at the border.
Operation Blue Lotus, launched last month by the Department of Homeland Security, stopped more than 900 pounds of fentanyl from coming into the United States during its first week in action.
"These actions have contributed to a steady decrease or flattening in overdose deaths for seven straight months of reporting," the White House said.
Biden has ordered federal agencies to prioritize the mission in an effort to save lives, expand care and seize profits from international drug traffickers.
As part of the effort, the administration will launch public health initiatives across the country, including addiction treatment, in hopes of increasing awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.
The plan would expand access to naloxone -- a life-saving medicine that treats opioid overdoses -- by making it available over the counter in drug-ridden areas across the country.
The plan also calls for new federal accountability measures that will apply to legitimate drug manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacies.
Biden's plan would strengthen coordination and information-sharing among U.S. intelligence and domestic law enforcement agencies.
The administration's partnership with the private sector is intended to cut off traffickers from raw materials and capital resources that enable them to manufacture and supply their product.
Biden's plan increases accountability measures for banks in an effort to prevent drug traffickers from exploiting the U.S. financial system through money laundering.
