US intel report names India as source of illegal chemicals

A report from the office of the US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has flagged concerns about the threat of drugs and illegal chemicals from India.

A report ‘Annual threat assessment of the US intelligence community’ has been put up on its website by the DNI, which is headed by Tulsi Gabbard.

The annual report enlists worldwide threats to the national security of the US. In a specific reference to India, it read, "A range of cyber and intelligence actors are targeting our wealth, critical infrastructure, telecom and media. Nonstate groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly, by state actors, such as China and India, as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers”.

It added that there were multiple immediate threats to the US' national interests. It claimed that terrorist and transnational criminal organisations were directly threatening the US citizens; while cartels were largely responsible for more than 52,000 US deaths from synthetic opioids in the 12 months (ending in October 2024). It further noted that cartels also helped facilitate the arrival of nearly three million illegal migrants in 2024.

The report blamed India and China for illicit chemicals, saying, “China remains the primary source country for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment, followed by India”.

"Mexico-based chemical brokers circumvent international controls through mislabeled shipments and the purchase of unregulated dual-use chemicals," the report added.

Addressing threats from Russia and BRICS, the DNI report said, “Moscow is increasingly willing to play spoiler in Western-centric forums such as the UN and use non-Western organisations like BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to press policies such as de-dollarisation.”

On South Asia, the report said, “Anti-India groups, including Lashkar-e Tayyiba, pose a concern because of their historical links with Al-Qaeda.”