A federal grand jury in Dayton, Ohio, has charged multiple defendants, including Chinese nationals and companies, in connection with narcotics trafficking and money laundering conspiracies involving fentanyl precursors, as part of the FBI’s “Operation Box Cutter.”
“We’re done playing whack-a-mole,” Patel said, “What other country in the world has a fentanyl crisis? None. Just us.”
Patel said that the operation led to the seizure of 139 kilograms of fentanyl powder—enough to produce lethal doses for approximately 70 million people, roughly five times Ohio’s population of 12 million. Additionally, authorities confiscated 525 grams worth of precursor powder used to manufacture fentanyl pills, sufficient to kill another 270,000 individuals.
The indictment targets three U.S. citizens, 22 Chinese nationals, and four Chinese pharmaceutical companies, which allegedly posed as legitimate businesses while knowingly supplying and distributing cutting agents to the United States.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement that safeguarding Americans from fentanyl is a top priority for the Department. “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.”
‘First of Its Kind’
Patel said this operation is “the first of its kind effort” to lead this takedown and initiative, mentioning the intricate and sophisticated methods used by Chinese mainland operations to supply materials to Mexican drug cartels and smuggled into the United States through local operatives.
“Unless you unwind that web, and unless you track down every single person and business and entity and flow of money involved in it, you will never break the wheel,” Patel said, adding that the FBI has successfully dismantled this network.
These cutting agents, sold by Chinese companies purporting to be legitimate online pharmacies and chemical companies, included animal tranquilizers up to 200 times stronger than morphine.
The companies allegedly used Chinese nationals in the United States to manage sales, reach out to customers, arrange deals, and collect payments in cryptocurrency, ultimately transferring the funds to overseas recipients.
The U.S. defendants have bought at least 10 kilograms of fentanyl cutting agents from Chinese companies, which could produce over 150 kilograms of fentanyl mixture for street sales.
According to charging documents, Eric Michael Payne, 39, of Tipp City, Ohio, has been a primary supplier of illegal cutting agents to fentanyl traffickers in southern Ohio since at least 2022.
Payne’s two associates, Auriyon Tresan Rayford, 24, of Tipp City, Ohio, and Ciandrea Bryne Davis, 39, of Atlanta, allegedly assisted him in transferring over $60,000 in cryptocurrency to Chinese operators since 2022. Rayford is also accused of allowing illegal substances to be stored at her Ohio residence.
“Their greed for money has harmed citizens in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and every town in between in southern Ohio,” said Elena Iatarola, FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge.
All defendants face charges of conspiracy to distribute a fentanyl mixture and conspiracy to launder money internationally. Dominic Grace, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said the charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could result in up to life imprisonment.
Payne faces additional charges of possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl mixture and tampering with evidence. Rayford is also charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.
In addition to the individuals, four Chinese companies were indicted are Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical, Guangzhou Wanjiang Biotechnology, Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology, and Hebei Feilaimi Technology.
Mission Across the Country
Patel said that this indictment demonstrates the massive effort needed to combat the fentanyl crisis and demonstrates that the FBI-led “Operation Box Cutter” is leading the fight, not only in Ohio but in “dozens of [districts] around the country and all across the world.”
On the same day, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical and its representatives, Huang Xiaojun and Huang Zhanpeng, for their involvement in manufacturing and selling synthetic opioids and dangerous cutting agents to the United States.
