The U.S. Federal Grand Jury in Ohio has formally indicted two Chinese pharmaceutical companies and six Chinese citizens for allegedly trafficking chemical precursors used in the production of fentanyl across borders and forming alliances with Mexican drug cartels.
This indictment is part of “Operation Box Cutter,” a joint transnational law enforcement operation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) targeting the global supply chain of fentanyl precursors, with intelligence support provided by the Ministry of Public Security of China (MPS).
According to the indictment, the Chinese companies charged are Shandong Believe Chemical and Shandong Ranhang Biotechnology, and the individuals charged include Hanson Zhao, Gao Yanpeng, Xia Yi, Zhang Jian, Wang Zhoalan, and Zhang Chunhai.
The defendants are accused of openly marketing and selling chemical precursors to drug traffickers domestically and internationally between July 2025 and January 2026, instructing clients to transfer funds to foreign financial institutions using cryptocurrency.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the operation as a “historic success,” achieving unprecedented charges, including providing material support to terrorism. He emphasized that this is a significant step in the FBI’s efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis nationwide and highlighted the pioneering cooperation established with Chinese counterparts.
Patel stressed the joint effort to cut off the supply chain of chemical raw materials with China to combat the fentanyl crisis.
The defendants are suspected of conspiring to manufacture and distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl mixtures. Additionally, three defendants allegedly sold chemical precursors and medetomidine to members of the Gulf Cartel.
The U.S. Department of State has designated the Gulf Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
Law enforcement authorities noted that medetomidine is an animal sedative, 200 times stronger than morphine, capable of increasing fentanyl production by at least 20 times.
FBI Operation Supervisor Joe Perez stated in a release that the Ministry of Public Security of China provided intelligence to the FBI during the operation, assisting U.S. authorities in understanding the criminal networks of the relevant companies in Shandong.
Perez expressed gratitude for this cooperation, underlining that these indictments send a clear message to all involved in similar activities that the FBI will hold them accountable.
Patel highlighted the importance of addressing the root causes of the fentanyl issue. Following his visit to China in November last year, Chinese authorities began tightening controls over fentanyl chemical precursors.
He emphasized that the crisis does not originate from the southern border but from the flow and networks involved in transporting these chemical precursors.