Two Surat-based companies – Raxuter Chemicals and Athos Chemicals – were charged with criminal conspiracies to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States.

It has now been revealed that Bhavesh Lathiya aka Bhavesh Patel tried selling fentanyl precursor chemicals to an undercover US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) official.

“On or about October 2, 2024 and October 15, 2024, Lathiya appeared on a video call to discuss sale of fentanyl precursor chemicals with an HSI undercover officer,” said the US Department of Justice statement.  

As per the statement, “Lathiya agreed to sell 20 kilograms 1-boc-4-piperidone, which is a List I chemical used in fentanyl synthesis.”

The DoJ statement also adds that Lathiya had proposed to mislabel the chemical as an antacid and ship it to Mexico.

It stated that around November 23, 2024, Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya shipped 20 kilograms of precursor to New York, mislabeling it as antacid.

Moreover, around February 20, 2024, Athos Chemicals agreed to sell 100 kilograms of the same precursor to a known drug trafficker in Mexico who was making fentanyl in association with a drug trafficking organization, stated DoJ.

The DoJ also mentioned Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world largest and violent drug cartel based out of Mexico, stating that such cartels have availed themselves fentanyl precursors by companies like Raxuter and Athos.

“The chemicals provided by the defendant companies have enabled such cartels and other drug trafficking organizations to produce fentanyl in clandestine laboratories in Mexico on a massive scale for subsequent distribution in the United States and elsewhere,” noted DoJ. 

The indictment refers to the allegations made against the defendants, and the US justice system treats defendants as innocents until proven guilty.

If convicted of all the charges, Lathiya faces up to 53 years in prison.

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Two Indian chemical companies charged in smuggling fentanyl in US