Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced on Apr. 27 that two Chinese nationals have been charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and related crimes after allegedly developing a large-scale methamphetamine production facility. The indictment names Wenfeng Cui, also known as "Vincen," and Fan Pang, also known as "Jerry," who were arrested in New York City on February 2 following a meeting where they reportedly provided instructions for synthesizing the drug and operating industrial machinery designed to produce it.
The case highlights concerns about the scale and sophistication of synthetic drug manufacturing efforts. Authorities said that law enforcement later seized shipping containers filled with equipment at a European port. Both defendants are currently detained pending trial before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
"As alleged, the defendants worked with chemists and engineers to develop and deploy a sophisticated technology for the industrial production of methamphetamine capable of producing 400 kilograms of ‘meth’ every day," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "Their goal was terrifying in its ambition. The potential harm of this scale of methamphetamine on our streets should give all New Yorkers and all Americans pause. This Office will find and prosecute not only the dealers distributing poison to New Yorkers, but also the people behind those operations... Working with our international law enforcement partners, we will bring narcotics traffickers to justice—no matter where they are in the world, and no matter whether they commit their crimes in laboratories or on street corners."
DEA Special Agent in Charge Cindy Marx said: "This indictment underscores the evolving threat posed by the synthetic drug market, in particular the increase we are seeing in methamphetamine... The level of technical expertise, industrial-scale machinery, and international reach revealed in this case is a stark reminder that today’s illicit drug trade is driven by innovation and relentless adaptation... DEA will continue to leverage its resources to protect our communities from the devastating impact of synthetic drugs."
According to court documents referenced by prosecutors, confidential sources acting under DEA direction communicated regularly with Cui and Pang over eight months while posing as narcotics traffickers seeking chemical agreements. During these interactions—including meetings held between June 5-17—Cui described his ability to manufacture custom machinery capable of producing hundreds of kilograms per cycle; Pang confirmed machines could be ready within weeks.
The indictment further alleges that Cui provided detailed blueprints for assembling an industrial laboratory using specialized equipment such as reactors, pumps, refrigeration systems, centrifuges, compressors—and offered instruction manuals specifying chemical proportions needed for synthesis.
Authorities say that after completing fabrication late last year, Cui and Pang arranged shipment from Shanghai via multiple containers weighing more than 21 metric tons combined; European officials later seized these shipments at port facilities abroad.
Both men face charges carrying maximum sentences ranging from twenty years up to life imprisonment if convicted; sentencing decisions would ultimately be determined by a judge upon any conviction.
Clayton praised investigators from both U.S., Polish Provincial Police (Wroclaw), German Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Osnabruck agencies involved; Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan T. Nees is prosecuting the case through the Office's Narcotics Unit.
