The Justice Department indicted three Americans, 22 Chinese nationals and four Chinese companies on charges of conspiring to bring into the U.S. substances used to cut fentanyl.
Eric Michael Payne is accused of supplying cutting agents, which he bought from Chinese companies posing as pharmaceutical and chemical companies, to fentanyl traffickers and dealers in southern Ohio, the Justice Department said in a press release.
The Tipp City, Ohio, native is accused of having done this from at least 2022 onward.
According to federal prosecutors, the 39-year-old Mr. Payne bought several kilograms of the agents that in turn were capable of yielding more than 150 kilograms of fentanyl mixture to then be sold on U.S. streets.
Cutting agents used in the scheme included animal tranquilizers up to 200 times more potent than morphine, federal prosecutors said.
The Justice Department accused Mr. Payne’s partner, Auriyon Tresan Rayford, 24, also of Tripp City, of storing illegal substances at her residence as part of the scheme.
Federal prosecutors also alleged that Ms. Rayford and the third American defendant, Atlanta resident Ciandrea Bryne Davis, 39, of helping Mr. Payne send cryptocurrency payments to Chinese nationals associated with the companies from which Mr. Payne purportedly bought cutting agents.
The companies used the Chinese nationals to network with U.S. customers to secure payments for their products, the Justice Department said.
Mr. Payne, Ms. Rayford and Ms. Davis are each charged with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture and with conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Mr. Payne faces additional charges of possessing 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture with the intent to distribute it and tampering with evidence; Ms. Rayford faces additional charges of maintaining a drug-involved premises.
According to Ohio news outlets, Mr. Payne and Ms. Rayford have been arrested and authorities are hunting for Ms. Davis.
Two of the 22 Chinese nationals — Xiaojun Huang and Zhanpeng Huang — represent the indicted company Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company Ltd., and all three parties also are now under counternarcotics sanctions from the Treasury Department, the Justice Department said.
There was no word from federal officials on the status of the 22 Chinese persons named in the indictment.
The other three Chinese companies indicted are Guanghzou Wanjiang Biotechnology, Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology, and Hebei Feilaimi Technology.
“Today’s announcement marks a first-of-its-kind international operation for the FBI targeting the fentanyl plague that has killed tens of thousands of Americans and indicting the companies and individuals in mainland China that manufacture the precursor chemicals fueling the destruction of our communities,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that “we will not rest until we stop Chinese companies from shipping poison to our citizens and bring everyone involved in this lethal trade to swift, complete justice.”
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.