On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that a Chinese man has been indicted for allegedly smuggling a large quantity of fentanyl precursors. This is considered one of the largest cases of fentanyl precursor smuggling in the United States.
The Department of Justice stated that Minsu Fang, 48 years old, is facing four charges related to conspiracy to import, export, and manufacture fentanyl.
According to federal charging documents, Fang and his associates imported over 2,000 kilograms of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to the United States in approximately 100 separate shipments between August and October 2023. The chemicals were then transported to Mexico, where they were made into pills before being shipped back to the U.S. for sale and distribution.
To avoid law enforcement interception, Fang and his associates allegedly undervalued the shipments at less than $800 and mixed the boxes containing precursor chemicals with other low-valued import items.
As a result, these shipments entered the U.S. without thorough inspection, and Fang facilitated the transportation of these chemicals into Mexico through his co-conspirators.
Fang was arrested in New York on June 19 and was indicted on July 17.
On Tuesday morning, Fang will face trial before a U.S. district judge. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10 million fine for each charge.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, “The defendant we have charged imported enough fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to cause death to millions of Americans.”
“Fentanyl represents the deadliest drug threat the U.S. has ever faced, and the Department of Justice is dedicated to dismantling every aspect of the global fentanyl supply chain,” Garland added.
Anne Milgram, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), stated that Fang is accused of selling over 2,000 kilograms of fentanyl precursors.
“This marks the largest seizure of fentanyl chemicals made by the DEA in the U.S. to date,” Milgram said. “Through dismantling Fang’s smuggling operation, the DEA and our partners have saved countless American lives.”
Alamdar S. Hamdani, the federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Texas, emphasized the office’s focus on dismantling transnational crime organizations flooding the U.S. with fentanyl, a drug that is killing our children.
He mentioned cases where children unknowingly consumed pills containing fentanyl obtained from friends and did not wake up the next day, urging parents to discuss the dangers of fentanyl with their children.
“Fang is alleged to have imported over 2,000 kilograms of raw materials from China destined for various locations in Mexico to produce fentanyl. This historic interception represents collaborative efforts across multiple agencies to prevent the production of millions of fatal doses of fentanyl pills,” Hamdani said.