Minnesota Now has been following President Donald Trump’s first two weeks in office, including the tariff threats on Canada and Mexico. Trump has said he ordered the tariffs to put pressure on the countries to prevent fentanyl trafficking into the states.

Fentanyl has wreaked havoc on the lives of millions of Americans and results in about 70,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. The synthetic opioid is mostly manufactured in China. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the majority of fentanyl coming into the states was bought by drug cartels in Mexico and smuggled over the U.S. border.

For a better understanding of how fentanyl is making its way into the state of Minnesota and the effect it is having here, MPR News host Nina Moini talks with Drew Evans, Superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.