Paul E. Vallely, a retired major general in the U.S. Army and senior military analyst for Fox News, said in an op-ed that America's escalating fentanyl crisis and cartel threat cannot be managed by the White House and Congress alone. He emphasized the need for coordinated federal agency action.
"Fentanyl overdoses now kill more Americans each year than guns, car crashes, or any other cause of death for adults under 50," said Paul E. Vallely. "Crushing international drug traffickers requires a whole‑of‑government approach. The Fed's Foreign Bank International Cash Services (FBICS) program allows certain foreign banks, including those with no U.S. presence, to obtain U.S. dollars directly from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York."
According to Vallely's op-ed, America’s fight against drug cartels has reached a deadly new phase, with fentanyl overdoses now claiming more lives each year than guns, car crashes, or any other cause of death for adults under 50. In response, the Trump administration and Congress have launched aggressive countermeasures. These include imposing tariffs on Chinese goods to limit the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals and labeling Latin American cartels as terrorist organizations. These moves have been accompanied by proposals for significant spending increases on border security and drug enforcement. However, experts stress that this crisis cannot be resolved by singular efforts from the White House or law enforcement alone.
Vallely added that modern drug cartels operate like global corporations: adaptable, decentralized, and ruthlessly efficient in exploiting legal and regulatory loopholes. Their operations hinge on their ability to launder billions in illicit profits through opaque financial networks. Shell companies, crypto mixers, and offshore banks enable cartels to disguise dirty money as legitimate capital, bypassing traditional scrutiny. One concerning example is the Federal Reserve’s Foreign Bank International Cash Services (FBICS) program, which allows foreign banks to obtain physical U.S. currency directly from the Fed—even if those banks have no U.S. presence.
Vulnerabilities also exist in America's physical and digital trade infrastructure, which traffickers have learned to exploit with precision. Programs meant to expedite shipping can be manipulated by cartels to move illicit goods or money-laundering-linked freight with minimal inspection. With U.S. Customs and Border Protection physically inspecting less than 5% of ocean cargo, vast quantities of contraband can slip through unnoticed. The U.S. postal system is another weak point—cartels often ship synthetic drug components in small packages that evade detection by using e-commerce platforms and taking advantage of exemptions for low-value imports.
Vallely is a retired U.S. Army Major General and West Point graduate who served two combat tours in Vietnam and held key roles in Special Operations and Psychological Warfare. After retiring as Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific in 1993, he became a FOX News military analyst and co-founded the Stand Up America US Foundation to promote national security and conservative values.