appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Lucy Quaggin

Two men from the US state of New Jersey have been sentenced this week for their roles in a drug trafficking organisation that imported fentanyl analogues from China, the US Department of Justice said on Thursday.
The fentanyl crisis in the United States has killed tens of thousands of people annually in recent years. Washington previously characterised China as the primary source of precursor chemicals used to manufacture the drug, and Beijing felt unfairly targeted over the crisis.
Sean Tighe, 50, and Juan Rodriguez, 51, were among nine individuals charged and convicted for their roles in the organisation that imported more than one metric tonne of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs into the US.
Fentanyl analogues are chemically altered versions of the prescription opioid fentanyl, similar enough in chemical structure to mimic its effects.
The group sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using both wire transfers and bitcoin to pay for the drugs.


Five individuals have so far been sentenced to a total of 685 months in prison.
Tighe was sentenced to 151 months in prison on July 7. He had earlier pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl analogue pills as well as taking part in a money laundering conspiracy that included five wire payments from the US to China to purchase “controlled substances and/or controlled substance analogues”.
The second man, Rodriguez, earlier pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl analogues. He had obtained opioid pills from Tighe before distributing them in Northern New Jersey. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison on July 8.
“Other members of the drug trafficking organisation placed orders with a source in China and imported kilogram quantities of various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues to the United States,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
“The drugs arrived through commercial package delivery services and air freight from China and were transported to Newark, New Jersey, where co-conspirators pressed the fentanyl analogue powder into fake prescription pills.”
According to the Justice Department, the drugs were then sold in bulk and pill form directly to consumers as well as to downstream distributors.
The second Trump administration has stepped up pressure on China to crack down on fentanyl precursor chemicals and related money laundering networks linked to trafficking the drug into America.
US President Donald Trump had imposed tariffs on Chinese goods to pressure Beijing over the fentanyl issue, before such measures were ruled to be unlawful by the Supreme Court.
In South Korea last year, Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, reached several agreements, including tariff reductions and cooperation on fentanyl precursors.
Following the two presidents’ summit in Beijing this May, the White House said the leaders talked about the need to do more to stem “the flow of fentanyl precursors” into America.
China did not, however, mention fentanyl in its statement about the bilateral talks.


Xi to get presidential airport welcome from Trump during US visit starting Wednesday

Chinese province urges firms to seize the day as Xi-Trump meeting provides trade stability

Former WTO head Pascal Lamy on the EU’s China choice: get a rebalance, or go protectionist

US announces AI dialogue with China, launches Board of Trade

US-China relations

2 men sentenced for roles in trafficking fentanyl analogues from China to the US

Two men from the US state of New Jersey were sentenced this week for their roles in a drug trafficking organisation that imported fentanyl analogues from China. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese national charged in alleged scheme to smuggle drug shipments to US

A Chinese national was arrested in China in connection with an alleged scheme to import illegal drugs into Georgia, US federal officials announced on Wednesday. Photo: Shutterstock

Alarm raised over China’s threat to older Americans through drug supply chains

There have been growing concerns in recent years that China could dominate the world’s pharmaceutical industry. Photo: Handout

There have been growing concerns in recent years that China could dominate the world’s pharmaceutical industry. Photo: Shutterstock

Rick Scott, a Republican senator from Florida, said China supplied 87 per cent of active pharmaceutical ingredients for US antibiotics. Photo: TNS

Two Chinese nationals charged in US drug cartel money-laundering case

US prosecutors said co-conspirators operating across the US, Mexico, Latin America and China allegedly laundered proceeds from trafficking narcotics including fentanyl and cocaine. Photo: Reuters

News

China

Diplomacy

Accused were among nine individuals charged and convicted for their part in importing more than one metric tonne of drugs into the US


Accused were among nine individuals charged and convicted for their part in importing more than one metric tonne of drugs into the US.


2 men sentenced for roles in trafficking fentanyl analogues from China to the US

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Accused were among nine individuals charged and convicted for their part in importing more than one metric tonne of drugs into the US

Accused were among nine individuals charged and convicted for their part in importing more than one metric tonne of drugs into the US