DOJ charges Chinese company with exporting components needed to produce fentanyl

U.S. prosecutors have charged a Chinese chemical company and several of its employees with illegally exporting fentanyl materials, according to the Justice Department, as Washington seeks greater cooperation with Beijing to combat trafficking of the synthetic opioid.

Hubei Aoks Bio-Tech Co. Ltd., based in Wuhan, was indicted by a federal grand jury on 13 counts linked to the sale of the components to manufacture millions of fentanyl pills destined for the U.S. market, the department said in a statement Thursday.

"This indictment alleges that a company, its principal and its head of sales made financial gain by knowingly exporting materials that helped fuel the fentanyl crisis in our country," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said, according to the statement.

Hubei Aoks allegedly imported the chemicals, along with a potent tranquilizer popularly known as "tranq," among pieces of furniture, makeup and other items.

China's Ministry of Public Security said Friday it was investigating the case based on evidence provided by the United States, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency, which reported the detention of four suspects.

China imposed new controls on chemicals used to make fentanyl in September, following several rounds of talks between Beijing and Washington.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said prior to those bilateral meetings that China was "the primary source of all fentanyl-related substances trafficked to the United States."

Fentanyl is responsible for about 75,000 overdose deaths a year in the United States and is the leading cause of death among 18- to 49-year-olds, according to officials.