Chinese Woman Gets 15 Years for Role in Conspiracy to Import Drugs to US
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During an hours-long hearing, the defense had asked for 30 months, citing good behavior and Chen’s mother, who has cancer in China. Prosecutors asked for 18 years, citing Chen’s lack of remorse and alleged perjury during trial. Sentencing guidelines would have allowed for 27 years.
Prosecutors argued that Chen had intended to mislead jurors by saying that she was unaware of an advertisement for fentanyl precursors even though the photos for the ad were found on her laptop, that she did not believe a buyer of precursor chemicals meant to violate U.S. law, and that she was confused and did not understand a Voice of America article about the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
The defense cited language and cultural differences, arguing Chen was unable to grasp the nuances in the instances cited by prosecutors.
The judge said that Chen had clearly understood what she was being asked, and found that she was “well aware” that the chemicals sold were being used to make illicit fentanyl. He found that Chen made false statements during trial, but did not find that she committed perjury.
In the courtroom, Gardephe said Chen had arranged for the delivery of three tons of fentanyl from China to the United States, and the 15-year sentence was a length necessary for general deterrence.
The judge asked Chen twice whether she wanted to make a statement, and Chen declined both times.
Defense counsel said they intend to appeal the verdict.
Chen was a marketing manager at the China-based Hubei Amarvel Biotech company, and was tried in January alongside Qingzhou Wang, chief executive of the same company.
‘100 Percent Stealth Shipping’
The Chinese chemical company Amarvel openly advertised chemicals used to make fentanyl, and “100 percent stealth shipping” services that would ensure the precursors be sent in packaging indicating the contents were dog food, nuts, or motor oil to avoid detection and seizure. It also claimed to ship multiple tons of chemicals to the United States on a monthly basis, and other shipments to Culiacan, Mexico, which prosecutors noted is where the Sinaloa cartel is based.Late in 2022, an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officer contacted Amarvel and began placing orders; in all, Wang and Chen shipped more than 200 kilograms of chemicals from China to California to fulfill these orders. According to court documents, that was enough to make 50 kilograms of fentanyl, or 25 million deadly doses.
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A screenshot of Amarvel Biotech's now-defunct site as supplied by the U.S. Justice Department in an indictment against Hubei Amarvel Biotech Co. Ltd., Qingzhou Wang, Yiyi Chen, and Fnu Lnu.
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In June 2023, Wang and Chen traveled to Fiji to meet with an individual acting on behalf of the DEA. They were subsequently taken into custody.
The Trump administration has said stopping the flow of illicit fentanyl is a national priority, and the president has put pressure on China and border nations Mexico and Canada to address the drug crisis.
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