US Intel Report Identifies India Part of Global Narcotics Supply Chains

The ATA, published on March 18 by the Director of National Intelligence finds mentions of India primarily in the context of global narcotics supply chains, India–Pakistan rivalry and nuclear escalation.

The report, however, notes that in January 2026, Prime Minister Modi and other Indian officials had signaled a willingness to deepen engagement with the U.S. on counternarcotics, and added that “ India has increased counternarcotics efforts during the last year,” framing India as a cooperative partner, despite being a source of precursor chemicals.

Similarly, “following a meeting in October 2025 between the U.S. President and Chinese President Xi in Busan, South Korea, Beijing agreed to halt the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals to North America, issued an industry advisory notice to China-based companies, and established a new requirement for export licenses for certain fentanyl precursor chemicals,” the report said.

“U.S. efforts to work with China and India to halt the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals to North America are demonstrating improvement, but there is more work to be done as there are still tens of thousands of fentanyl-related deaths in America every year,” said Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, while releasing the report.

Keeping in line with US President Donald Trump’s consistent claims, the report repeats that Trump’s intervention de-escalated the recent tensions between India and Pakistan, adding that “we assess that neither country seeks to return to open conflict, but that conditions exist for terrorist actors to continue to create catalysts for crises.”

The report gauges different countries’ increasing capacities of developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), such as China, North Korea, Pakistan, and Russia. ‘The range of WMD threats to the U.S. will grow as states create more diverse use options and delivery systems that could reduce the threshold for use, circumvent U.S. missile defenses, or evade detection,” the report notes.

“India also is developing new and longer-range nuclear delivery systems,” it mentions particularly, but it is not further elaborated as a threat to US as the aforementioned countries.

In particular, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea view the US as a strategic competitor and potential adversary, the report states, adding that these countries perceive US as a threat to their respective interests and ambitions, and seek to counter and undermine US influence and power through a range of diplomatic, economic and military means.

China responded to the charges asking the US to "stop hyping" the theory that China is a threat.