Attorney General Jeff Jackson and a bipartisan group of attorneys general urged the federal government on March 23 to work with China to address gaps in law enforcement’s ability to track fentanyl-related money laundering through Chinese-based messaging apps.
The issue is significant because fentanyl continues to cause high rates of overdose deaths in North Carolina, with about six residents dying each day. Billions of dollars in drug proceeds are reportedly laundered annually through networks that use messaging apps, creating challenges for law enforcement. The North Carolina State Executive Attorney General aims to prevent crime, assist law enforcement, protect consumers and defend state residents’ rights, according to the official website.
Jackson said the coalition recently secured commitments from WeChat, a widely used messaging app, to help disrupt illicit financial flows. “We got WeChat to the table and secured real commitments, but its sister app in China is still a black box for American law enforcement,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “If the federal government makes this a priority with China, we can shut down the financial pipeline that keeps fentanyl flowing into the country.” The earlier agreement with WeChat included deploying money laundering identification tools and responding promptly to law enforcement requests.
However, investigators face obstacles when funds move through Weixin—WeChat’s sister app—which operates under Chinese privacy laws and does not respond to U.S. requests. Without access to data from this platform, authorities say they cannot fully dismantle international networks involved in laundering drug profits.
Jackson heads the North Carolina State Executive Attorney General as attorney general according to the official website. The office extends its services across all of North Carolina and acts as a state government entity authorized to handle legal matters on behalf of residents statewide according to information available online. It also represents state agencies in court and prosecutes criminal appeals influencing governance within North Carolina as reported by its official site.
The letter sent by Jackson was joined by attorneys general from South Carolina, Colorado, Kentucky, New Hampshire and New Jersey.
