Chinese companies, nationals indicted for shipping fentanyl chemicals to US: DOJ – By Candace Hathaway (The Blaze) / Oct 6, 2023
The Department of Justice announced Tuesday charges against eight China-based companies and 12 Chinese nationals.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco explained during a speech this week that the firms and individuals are being accused of “trying to ship into the United States gallon after gallon of chemicals used to make fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other deadly drugs.”
A DOJ press release revealed the charges related to “fentanyl and methamphetamine production, distribution of synthetic opioids, and sales resulting from precursor chemicals.” It added that the indictments “build on prosecutions announced in June” against Chinese chemical companies and nationals. The department announced charges and sanctions against the Sinaloa Cartel’s trafficking network in April.
Monaco noted that the cartel used a “range of trafficking tactics to ply their deadly trade and cover their tracks,” including “blatant online advertising and encrypted messaging apps to fake shipping schemes and bitcoin payments.”
