New York-Southern District Federal Court sentenced Li Jiading, one of the defendants of a Chinese transnational drug trafficking group based mainly in New York, to 2 years in prison on October 5. The group had shipped large quantities of methamphetamine to Australia and New Zealand, distributing various drugs in the New York area.
According to the prosecution, Chen Min was the main leader of the group, receiving drugs through mail, including methamphetamine sent from California, ecstasy and ketamine from the Netherlands, France, the UK, and Germany, attempting distribution in the US and overseas. Li Jiading, along with co-defendants Weng Huai, Zhang Weifa, and He Xiangqian, worked for Chen Min at different stages.
Li Jiading was involved in drug trafficking activities from 2018 to early 2020 before moving to the West Coast of the United States and leaving the group. Prosecutors claimed that he received multiple packages containing several kilograms of methamphetamine from California at his residence in Brooklyn, New York, personally mailing and receiving drugs, tracking package deliveries through the USPS online system and making calls to confirm. He also directly communicated with Chen Min and Weng Huai to assist in drug distribution. The prosecution estimated Li’s involvement in shipping nearly 26 kilograms of methamphetamine to Australia and New Zealand.
In March 2022, a grand jury in the Southern District of New York indicted Li Jiading and five others for conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine, intending to distribute. Li was not in the US at the time. Authorities and a lawyer representing Li reportedly notified him of the charges and arrest warrant, requesting his return to the US to surrender, but he did not return. In September 2025, Li Jiading traveled to Panama and was arrested on September 10 with the coordination of US and Panamanian authorities.
During sentencing, the prosecution recommended a prison term of 87 to 108 months for Li, emphasizing his active involvement in the transportation and distribution of large quantities of drugs and his failure to return to the US for years after being charged, arguing that the punishment should serve as a specific and general deterrent.
The defense pointed out that Li had pleaded guilty and accepted responsibility. In his Chinese statement submitted to the court, Li expressed deep regret for his illegal actions, describing his time at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn as the darkest period of his life. He mentioned witnessing violence, drugs, bullying, and loneliness during his detention, which made him feel helpless and afraid but also provided an opportunity for self-reflection and life planning.
The main perpetrator Chen Min was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2024 and is likely to be deported to China after serving his sentence; other co-defendants Zhang Weifa and Weng Huai were each sentenced to 36 months in prison. He Xiangqian, released on pretrial in the Central District of California Federal Court, fled after pleading guilty and is believed to be residing in China.