WASHINGTON (apro).– The United States Department of Justice unveiled three criminal indictments against four chemical companies and eight Chinese citizens (two of whom have already been detained), for conspiring to traffic precursor chemicals to Mexican drug cartels for the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl.
“This is the first time in history that criminal actions against companies and citizens based in China have been announced,” said Merrick Garland, Attorney General of Justice, at a press conference.
The three indictments, one in the Federal Court of the Southern District and two in the Eastern District of New York, link Chinese companies and citizens with the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) cartels to manufacture, distribute and sell fentanyl.
The companies accused of international conspiracy to manufacture and transfer fentanyl to the United States are: Hubei Amarvel Biotech Co. LTD, known as ArmavelBIO and indicated in the legal indictment before the New York court of the Southern District.
In relation to this manufacturing company of chemical precursors, one of its executive directors, Qingzhou Wang, alias Bruce Wang, and two employees, Yiyi Chen, “Chiron”, and Fnu Lnu “Er o Anita Yang”, were accused of the same crimes. already detained in Hawaii.
Before the Eastern District Court, the Department of Justice accuses the companies Anhui Rencheng Technology Co., Anhui Moker New Material Technology Co. and Hefei GSK Trade Co. Ltd., alias Hebei Sinaloa Trading Co. Ltd.
The Chinese nationals indicted in connection with the criminal file before the Eastern District Federal Court are: Shutong Wang, Shifang Ruan, Xinyu Zhao, Yue Gao and Ruiqing Li.
At the press conference, Garland announced that during the investigation process to prepare the criminal records, the DEA seized 200 kilos of chemical precursors to make fentanyl and with these to manufacture the necessary and sufficient doses of synthetic drugs to kill 25 million Americans. .
“I promised that we would never stop working to hold everyone involved in the fentanyl trade accountable,” Garland said, accompanied by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco; the DEA administrator, Anne Milgram, and prosecutors Damian Williams, of the Southern District, and Breon Peace, of the Eastern District.
“My promise included not only going against the leaders of the cartels, their drug and arms traffickers, their money launderers, security forces and clandestine laboratories, it also included Chinese chemical companies that supply the cartels with the foundations they need to manufacture the deadly fentanyl,” added the United States Attorney General.
Before reporters, Garland highlighted that companies and individuals criminally challenged in New York openly promote and sponsor the sale of chemical precursors to make synthetic drugs with fentanyl on social networks and internet sites.
“They guarantee 100% the delivery of their products, which they mostly sell to the Sinaloa Cartel,” Garland highlighted.
The three indictments account for a well-structured strategy for the transfer of chemical precursors from China to Mexico, focused on the state of Sinaloa.
The Department of Justice explains that precursor chemicals arrive under false labels related to pet food, food additives and motor oil.
“They announce throughout the world that their products will not be detected when crossing borders because they are exported with false customs declarations,” specified the United States Attorney General.
Among the tactics used by Chinese companies to hide the chemical precursors to make fentanyl, they have molecular techniques that disguise the raw material for the deadly drug with other molecular substances, but that can be reversed with special formulas that are provided to customers for they do.
Deputy Attorney General Monaco said, for her part, that to contain the fentanyl pandemic in the United States “an alliance with the Mexican government is crucial and thus stop arms trafficking that empowers Mexican drug cartels.”
All three indictments irrevocably contend that the accused Chinese companies and citizens knew and were aware that their international sale of precursor chemicals violated US and Mexican law.
“The Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG work with Chinese companies to manufacture fentanyl… they discuss the prices of precursors on social networks such as Facebook and through WhatsApp messages they coordinate shipments,” noted the DEA administrator.
During the session before the press, none of the Joe Biden government officials made a single mention of the criminal groups and drug cartels in the United States that are in charge of the transportation, transfer, distribution, and sale of fentanyl in their country.
According to official figures from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every 24 hours 288 Americans die from an overdose with synthetic drugs, mainly those made with fentanyl.
