US to step up work with Pacific nations to halt drug trafficking

The United States will work with Pacific Island nations to rein in drug trafficking by criminal networks from China, which use the region as a way station for narcotics exports to the US, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said on Thursday, Report informs via Reuters.

Grappling with a spike in overdose deaths, the United States has frequently criticized Chinese firms for their role in the global fentanyl supply chain, while island nations Fiji and Tonga have seen a rise in methamphetamine seizures this year.

The United States is determined to assist on the drug front and will make an announcement next week on law enforcement regarding drugs in the Pacific, an issue that increasingly troubles regional leaders, Campbell said.

"We are concerned some of the networks that have grown in China and South East Asia are beginning to use the Pacific for transshipment both to Latin America and the United States," he told reporters in Vanuatu.

"Many of our partners in the Pacific want to work with us to try to get a handle on that."

The United States could help with efforts in areas such as drug interdiction, treatment and prevention, he added.