Eight China-based companies and eight Chinese nationals have been charged with federal crimes related to trafficking synthetic opioids and fentanyl precursors, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Oct. 24.
The defendants “openly advertised their ability to thwart border officials,” used evasive tactics such as mislabeling the contents of shipments, and had shipped “a stable supply of precursor chemicals” to clients in the United States and Mexico for years, according to the DOJ’s press release, citing the unsealed indictments.
“The global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies based in China,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement, according to the press release….