FBI’s ‘Operation Box Cutter’ Indicts 22 Chinese Nationals, 4 Companies in Global Fentanyl Supply Chain Crackdown

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

DAYTON, OHIO (Worthy News) – Federal authorities announced Wednesday the indictments of 22 Chinese nationals, four China-based chemical companies, and three Americans in a sweeping international operation aimed at dismantling the fentanyl pipeline flooding U.S. communities.

The operation, dubbed “Operation Box Cutter,” is described by officials as the FBI’s first-of-its-kind international campaign to target fentanyl at its source. The investigation, which began in Dayton, Ohio, expanded to mainland China, where chemical companies allegedly marketed and sold precursor substances used to manufacture fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.

“We’re done playing Whack-a-Mole,” said FBI Director Kash Patel during a press conference in Cincinnati. “This takedown marks the FBI’s first-of-its-kind international operation targeting the fentanyl plague that has killed tens of thousands of Americans. We have indicted the companies and individuals in mainland China that manufacture the precursors fueling the destruction of our communities.”

Authorities said the operation resulted in the seizure of enough fentanyl powder to kill 70 million Americans, plus enough fentanyl pills to kill another 270,000.

Companies and Individuals Charged

The four Chinese companies indicted are:

• Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company, Ltd.
•  Guanghzou Wanjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
•  Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology Co., Ltd.
•  Hebei Feilaimi Technology Co., Ltd.

The indictment also names 22 Chinese nationals, accused of overseeing sales, managing cryptocurrency payments, and laundering funds through overseas bank accounts.

In the U.S., Eric Michael Payne, 39, of Tipp City, Ohio, is accused of importing fentanyl cutting agents from China and distributing them to local dealers. His partner, Auriyon Tresean Rayford, 24, allegedly handled cryptocurrency transfers to the Chinese suppliers. Ciandrea Bryne Davis, 39, of Atlanta, is also charged with assisting in fund transfers.

“All three face charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, as well as conspiracy to launder money internationally,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II, noting the crimes carry minimum sentences of 30 years in prison.

International Reach and Sanctions

Officials said the Chinese companies masqueraded as legitimate pharmaceutical and chemical firms while deliberately exporting precursors for fentanyl production. Payments were often funneled through cryptocurrency wallets controlled by intermediaries abroad.

The U.S. Treasury Department simultaneously announced sanctions against Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company and two of its representatives, Zhanpeng Huang and Xiaojun Huang, freezing any assets under U.S. jurisdiction and cutting them off from the U.S. financial system.

Federal Response

Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the Justice Department’s resolve: “Protecting Americans from fentanyl is one of this Department’s most important missions — and it starts with dismantling the international pipelines that bring deadly drugs and precursors to our shores. We will not rest until we stop Chinese companies from shipping poison to our citizens.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola added: “The FBI will continue to relentlessly pursue these companies and drug distributors as we work to crush violent crime and keep people safe from the dangers of illicit narcotics.”

Red notices have been placed on the 22 Chinese nationals, meaning they can be detained if they travel to countries with U.S. extradition agreements.

An indictment is a formal charge and does not constitute proof of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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