FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican is demanding the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigate whether illegal Chinese ingredients are making their way into weight loss drugs in the United States.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called on FDA Commissioner Martin Makary to probe how far unregulated and illegal Chinese active pharmaceutical ingredients have penetrated the U.S. supply chain — and whether they have ended up in popular weight loss drugs.

"China’s access to America’s pharmaceutical supply chain presents national security risks as well as significant health risks to American patients," Cotton wrote in a letter to Makary first obtained by Fox News Digital.

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Cotton’s concern follows recent reports from the FDA and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that between September 2023 and January 2025, authorities intercepted 195 illegal shipments of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

He noted that the ingredients were "likely used in compounded weight loss medications" that entered the U.S. market. Of those shipments, roughly 60 originated from China and Hong Kong.

"It is estimated that as of January 2026, up to 1.5 million American patients could be using unregulated compounded weight loss medications that may contain potentially dangerous ingredients from Chinese manufacturers," Cotton wrote.

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The ingredients are typically used in compounded versions of GLP-1 weight loss drugs that are marketed as alternatives to FDA-approved medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it would refer telehealth company Hims & Hers to the Justice Department for "potential violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act" over its planned sale of a compounded, non-FDA-approved weight loss drug.

Makary similarly said the FDA would "take decisive steps to restrict GLP-1 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) intended for use in non-FDA-approved compounded drugs that are being mass-marketed by companies — including Hims & Hers and other compounding pharmacies — as alternatives to FDA-approved drugs."

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The company announced last week that it would remove its weight loss pill, billed as a cheaper alternative to Wegovy, from the market following mounting pressure from federal agencies.

Cotton acknowledged that move and called for similar investigations going forward.

"I encourage further investigations into other entities that expose American patients to dangerous, unregulated Chinese APIs," Cotton wrote.

JetBlue passengers on a flight from Boston to Aruba were stuck on a plane for hours Monday while authorities investigated a "security-related situation."

When the flight landed at Queen Beatrix International Airport on Feb. 9, the pilot was directed to park in an alternate location. The reason cited was a "security-related situation," JetBlue told Boston station WCVB News Center 5.

Frustrated passengers were kept onboard for nearly two hours after landing, the station said.

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One traveler told the outlet that law enforcement officers boarded the aircraft and checked passports individually. Then they were allowed to exit row by row. A K9 unit was also brought in to inspect luggage.

"The flight was met by law enforcement who conducted additional screenings and customers have since disembarked," the airline said. 

"The safety of our customers and crew members is JetBlue’s first priority, and further inquiries should be directed to law enforcement."

During the incident, airport operations were temporarily suspended. In notices shared on social media, Queen Beatrix International Airport said access to the terminal was restricted while authorities assessed the situation.

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"Due to a security-related situation, airport operations are temporarily paused. The situation is being managed by the appropriate authorities, and safety remains our top priority," the airport said in a Facebook post.

About an hour later, the airport issued an update stating that operations would remain suspended for another 90 minutes or so.

Travelers inside the terminal were instructed to remain there — while those who had not yet entered were asked to wait outside until passenger processing resumed.

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On social media, some passengers reported disruptions to connecting travel plans as a result of the delay, including missed or rerouted flights.

"We sat in the airport for three extra hours and many people missed connecting flights," one user on Facebook said.

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"Messed up my whole day," a Reddit user commented.

Later in the day, Aruba Airport Authority N.V. confirmed in a press release that airport operations had fully resumed.

Fox News Digital reached out to JetBlue for further comment.