Joint task force takes down major fentanyl precursor supply chain
In a recent announcement, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas provided a detailed account of how the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have been tirelessly working to disrupt the supply chain of fentanyl precursor chemicals.
"The international dimension to the deadly scourge of fentanyl requires the all-of-government response that we are delivering today," Mayorkas said.
The investigation, which commenced in 2022, saw HSI agents infiltrating multiple Chinese chemical firms suspected of selling Schedule 1 narcotics and precursor chemicals online. These chemicals found their way into the hands of clients from a host of countries, including the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia. One such company even utilized air cargo and the United Parcel Service (UPS) for its illicit activities.
UPS records unearthed evidence that this particular firm had dispatched over 500 kg of these precursors to locations in Tucson, Arizona, and Brownsville, Texas. It is believed that after reaching these destinations, the chemicals were then funneled to Mexico by co-conspirators linked with cartels. The investigation didn't stop there. Agents began surveilling several Chinese-based phone numbers connected to these transactions, which further led them to discover Bitcoin wallets associated with these firms.
Simultaneously, officers from CBP Field Operations, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), managed to intercept over half a ton of precursor chemicals at warehouses in California and Texas using advanced targeting data. These interdicted chemicals, cunningly concealed in mislabeled boxes, could have produced nearly 2,000 pounds of fentanyl upon processing.
In a statement, Secretary Mayorkas lauded the efforts of the agencies involved, stating, “Through the dedication and investigative abilities of Agents and Officers from HSI, CBP, and our federal partners, we are bringing accountability to ruthless organizations and individuals resident in the People’s Republic of China and to the cartel members that seek to profit from the death and destruction that fentanyl causes.”
This significant and collaborative undertaking has resulted in the Department of Justice announcing three indictments today. The charges have been levied against China-based companies, their staff, and other accomplices. The charges encompass offenses related to fentanyl trafficking, precursor chemical importation, counterfeit postage usage, and money laundering.
