The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently filed criminal charges against 4 Chinese chemical manufacturing companies and 8 individuals, alleging their involvement in the illegal trafficking of chemicals used in the production of fentanyl (addictive painkiller).
This marks the first instance where the United States has taken legal action to prosecute Chinese companies responsible for manufacturing the precursor chemicals used in fentanyl production.
Previously, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China, making him the first U.S. Secretary of State to do so in five years. During the visit, Blinken emphasized the need for increased cooperation from China in addressing the issue of fentanyl trafficking.
While the visit aimed to stabilize the tense relationship between China and the United States and prevent it from escalating into a conflict, no significant breakthroughs were achieved. The atmosphere soured once again after U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator recently.
The three indictments target companies that are accused of supplying precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, which is then responsible for distributing the drug extensively in the United States.
These charges come two months after the Justice Department indicted leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel for operating a fentanyl trafficking network that relied on Chinese chemical companies. Among those charged were three sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel currently incarcerated in the United States.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, the second-highest-ranking official in the Justice Department, stated that these cases are significant as “they break new ground by attacking the fentanyl supply chain at its origin.” She emphasized, “Fentanyl poses a singular threat, not only because the smallest doses can be lethal, but because fentanyl does not occur in nature. It is entirely man-made.”
The Chinese Embassy did not provide a comment in response to a request, but in a previous statement last month, a spokesperson expressed “a firm stance on counter-narcotics,” adding that it had “worked with the U.S. to help solve its fentanyl abuse.”
In Manhattan, federal prosecutors unveiled an indictment against Hubei Amarvel Biotech, a Chinese chemical company, and its executives Qingzhou Wang, Yiyi Chen, and Fnu Lnu, also known as Er Yang. The charges include fentanyl trafficking, importation of precursor chemicals, and money laundering offenses.
Earlier this year, individuals from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who were undercover as fentanyl manufacturers met with Wang and Chen. They agreed to purchase 210 kg of fentanyl precursors using cryptocurrency as payment. In May, the DEA seized the chemicals from a warehouse in Los Angeles.
On June 8, federal agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Wang and Chen. They were ordered to be detained by a federal magistrate judge in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 9 until they can be transported to New York for their court appearance. However, Yang, the third individual, is currently evading capture.
In the Eastern District of New York, prosecutors also announced the unsealing of two additional indictments involving three Chinese companies and individuals. They are accused of conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl in the United States. These companies, including one named Hebei Sinaloa Trading Co, allegedly advertised precursor chemicals on social media platforms in Mexico and the United States. They used deceptive customs forms and mislabeled packages to transport the chemicals by boat and air.
