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Two Men Sentenced for Importing Fentanyl Analogues from China to US
🇨🇳 China /Crime & Justice

Two Men Sentenced for Importing Fentanyl Analogues from China to US

From South China Morning Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Two men from New Jersey were sentenced for their roles in importing fentanyl analogues from China into the US.
  • The organization imported over a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances, using wire transfers and bitcoin for payments.
  • Five individuals have been sentenced so far, totaling 685 months in prison, as part of a broader effort to combat the fentanyl crisis.

Two men from New Jersey have received sentences for their involvement in a drug trafficking operation that imported fentanyl analogues from China into the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencing this week.

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.

— South China Morning Post (CN)Announcing the sentencing of the two men.

Sean Tighe, 50, and Juan Rodriguez, 51, were among nine individuals charged and convicted in connection with the organization. This group was responsible for importing more than one metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs into the U.S. The organization facilitated payments to China through hundreds of thousands of dollars sent via wire transfers and bitcoin.

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.

— South China Morning Post (CN)Identifying the convicted individuals and the scale of the operation.

Fentanyl analogues are chemically modified versions of the prescription opioid fentanyl. They are designed to mimic the effects of fentanyl due to their similar chemical structures. The fentanyl crisis has tragically resulted in tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States in recent years.

The group sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using both wire transfers and bitcoin to pay for the drugs.

— South China Morning Post (CN)Detailing the financial methods used by the organization.

To date, five individuals involved in this operation have been sentenced, accumulating a total of 685 months in prison. The U.S. has previously identified China as a primary source of precursor chemicals used in manufacturing fentanyl, a characterization that has led to tensions, with Beijing feeling unfairly targeted over the crisis.

Five individuals have so far been sentenced to a total of 685 months in prison.

— South China Morning Post (CN)Providing an update on the total sentences handed down.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by South China Morning Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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