United States Drug Enforcement Administration

HOUSTON - A 48-year-old Chinese national has been indicted for his part in a conspiracy involving the importation of what is believed to be the largest amount of fentanyl precursors found in the Southern District of Texas and one of the largest in the country.

Minsu Fang aka Fernando is expected to make an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo July 23 at 11 a.m. Authorities originally arrested Fang in New York City, New York, June 19 on an arrest warrant based out of Laredo.

“We charged this defendant for importing enough fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to kill millions of Americans,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, and the Justice Department is committed to breaking apart every link in the global fentanyl supply chain.”

“To end the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) starts where the harm begins – with the Chinese chemical companies and the individuals that are selling chemicals to those who make and sell the fentanyl that is killing Americans. This work led DEA to Minsu Fang, who is charged with selling more than 2,000 kilograms of fentanyl precursors. This marks one of DEA’s largest seizures of fentanyl chemicals to date in the United States,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The DEA is laser-focused on saving American lives by disrupting the entire global fentanyl supply chain that is responsible for flooding our communities with fentanyl. By disrupting Fang’s operations, DEA and our partners saved countless lives in the United States.”

“My office is focused on disrupting and dismantling the transnational criminal organizations flooding the United States with fentanyl, a drug that is killing our children,” said Hamdani. “Fang allegedly imported over 2,000 kilograms of raw materials from China destined for various places in Mexico used in the manufacture of fentanyl. This historic seizure represents a multi-agency collaboration that prevented the production of millions upon millions of deadly doses of fentanyl-laced pills.”

A federal grand jury charged Minsu Fang aka Fernando July 17 in a four-count indictment under seal with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance for purpose of unlawful importation, conspiracy to import a controlled substance and conspiracy to export a controlled substance. 

“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) plays a pivotal role in disrupting the supply of illicit opioids at every point in the drug supply chain: internationally, at our nation’s borders, and in communities throughout the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, HSI San Antonio. “The partnerships in this investigation were key to securing this indictment. The threat imposed by fentanyl dictates that agencies not only deconflict and coordinate, but to also collaborate. This investigation and prosecution are the perfect example of collaboration across agencies and throughout the country.”

The now unsealed charges allege Fang and his associates shipped over 2,000 kilograms of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China into the United States and on to Mexico in approximately 100 separate shipments between August and October 2023. Fang and his co-conspirators were able to avoid law enforcement interdiction of the shipments by declaring them to have a de minimis value, less than $800, and commingling the boxes containing the precursor chemicals with similarly low valued import items, according to the charges.

As a result, each of the shipments were allegedly admitted into the United States without a detailed inspection of the individual contents. Once in the United States, Fang, through co-conspirators, shipped the chemicals into Mexico, according to the charges.

If convicted, Fang faces up to life on each count of conviction as well as a $10 million fine. 

The DEA and HSI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard D. Hanes and Heather Rae Winter are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. 

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