CINCINNATI — FBI Director Kash Patel and local officials announced in Cincinnati on Wednesday the indictment of dozens of people and companies connected to an "international drug conspiracy" impacting southern Ohio.
Patel said "Operation Box Cutter" is "the first of its kind" in addressing precursors that help make fentanyl. Specifically, it focuses on four Chinese companies that claim to be legitimate pharmaceutical businesses but are instead knowingly marketing and distributing cutting agents to the U.S.
"What other country in the world has a fentanyl crisis? None. Just us," Patel said.
Watch the entire press conference here:
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said officials have charged three U.S. citizens — including two people in Tipp City, Ohio — who helped distribute illicit cutting agents to drug traffickers in southern Ohio.
Gerace said Eric Michael Payne of Tipp City would buy cutting agents from Chinese companies and then distribute them to dealers. Payne and his significant other, Auriyon Tresean Rayford, would then transfer crypto to the companies. A third U.S. citizen who is not from Ohio, Ciandrea Bryne Davis, also helped transfer funds.
FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola said the products purchased include medetomidine, nitazenes and xylazine — all of which help increase the amount of fentanyl a dealer can sell while helping keep it potent.
"Their greed for money has harmed citizens in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and every town in between in southern Ohio," Iatarola said.
In addition to the three U.S. citizens, officials have charged four Chinese companies and its known associates. Those companies are Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company, LTD., Guangzhou Wanjiang Biotechnology Co., LTD., Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology Co., LTD. and Hebei Feilaimi Technology Co., LTD.
Everyone involved has been charged with conspiring to launder money internationally and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, which Gerace said would carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could go up to life in prison.
