22 Chinese Nationals Indicted in Major Fentanyl Trafficking Plot Targeting the US

In a stunning blow to the ongoing war against fentanyl, the Department of Justice has unsealed a sweeping indictment against 22 Chinese nationals, four Chinese companies, and three Americans for their roles in a transnational drug trafficking conspiracy aimed squarely at flooding American streets with lethal synthetic drugs.

Federal prosecutors say the defendants worked together to smuggle powerful fentanyl-cutting agents substances used to stretch drug supply and increase dealer profits directly into the United States, with shipments originating from mainland China and making their way to communities in southern Ohio and beyond.

According to FBI Director Kash Patel, this case marks a “first-of-its-kind international operation” targeting the Chinese manufacturers responsible for producing the precursor chemicals that are fueling the fentanyl epidemic.

“This is not just about rogue drug dealers,” Patel said. “This is about Chinese chemical firms knowingly manufacturing and exporting deadly compounds to American traffickers with the express purpose of poisoning our communities.”

The indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury in Ohio, charges all defendants with:

• Conspiring with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture

• International money laundering, including use of cryptocurrency to fund illicit shipments

• Marketing controlled substances and deadly chemical agents directly to U.S.-based dealers

Among the four Chinese firms named are:

• Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company

• Guangzhou Wanjiang Biotechnology Company

• Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology Company

• Hebei Feilaimi Technology Company

These companies, according to court documents, posed as legitimate pharmacies while openly advertising and exporting banned chemicals knowing full well how they would be used.

The American collaborators include 39-year-old Eric Michael Payne of Ohio, his 24-year-old girlfriend Auriyon Tresan Rayford, and Ciandrea Bryne Davis of Atlanta. Prosecutors say Payne purchased multiple kilogram-level shipments of fentanyl cutting agents between 2022 and 2024 chemicals that could be used to manufacture up to 150 kilograms of fentanyl mixture for street sale.

Let’s put that in context: Just two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal. That means this single operation could have fueled the creation of millions of deadly doses, intentionally distributed into American communities.

The list of indicted Chinese nationals reads like a roster of chemical warfare operatives: Lihui Zhao, Shanhong Jiang, Yan Yang, Fengdi Zhang, and Xuening Gao, among others. While many are still located overseas, the indictment sends a strong signal: America is done playing games with the Chinese Communist Party’s chemical exporters.

And this isn’t an isolated incident. China has long been the primary source of precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. These chemicals are then funneled through Mexican drug cartels, often with Beijing’s blind eye or worse, quiet approval.

According to the CDC, fentanyl was responsible for over 70,000 deaths in 2023 alone, making it the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. And yet the Biden administration has done little more than issue symbolic statements, refusing to confront the Chinese regime over its role in the opioid crisis.

This new indictment, finally, marks a step in the right direction but it’s just that: a first step.

We need more than symbolic prosecutions. We need trade restrictions, asset freezes, and diplomatic penalties targeting every company and official involved in these networks. America’s sovereignty is under attack not just at the border, but in our cities, schools, and families.

Every overdose is a casualty in a war that China is waging with chemical weapons, and until we treat it that way, the body count will continue to rise.

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