A Chinese national has been indicted for his involvement in a conspiracy to import what is believed to be the largest amount of fentanyl precursors ever found in the Southern District of Texas, and one of the largest in the United States.
Minsu Fang, 48, also known as Fernando, faces a four-count indictment that includes charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance for unlawful importation, conspiracy to import a controlled substance, and conspiracy to export a controlled substance.
“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.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram stated, “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 individuals selling chemicals to those who make and sell 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.”
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas added, “My office is focused on disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations flooding the United States with fentanyl, a drug that is killing our children. Fang allegedly imported over 2,000 kilograms of raw materials from China destined for various places in Mexico used in manufacturing fentanyl. This historic seizure represents a multi-agency collaboration that prevented producing millions upon millions of deadly doses of fentanyl-laced pills.”
Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI San Antonio emphasized HSI's role: “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) plays a pivotal role in disrupting illicit opioids at every point in the drug supply chain: internationally, at our nation’s borders, and within communities throughout the United States. The partnerships in this investigation were key to securing this indictment."
The unsealed charges allege that Fang and his associates shipped over 2,000 kilograms of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China into the United States and then onto Mexico through approximately 100 separate shipments between August and October 2023. They reportedly avoided law enforcement interdiction by declaring each shipment as having de minimis value—less than $800—and commingling them with similarly low-valued items.
If convicted on all counts, Fang faces up to life imprisonment per count along with fines totaling $10 million. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by DEA and HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard D. Hanes and Heather Rae Winter are prosecuting.
An indictment is merely an accusation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.