New York South District Federal Court continued the trial on Thursday of the case involving Hubei Amarvel Biotech, a biotech company from Hubei suspected of illegally transporting fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States. Undercover agent Gil (code CS-1) from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) continued testifying, revealing details of his interactions with Wuhan Amarvel’s boss Wang Qingzhou (previously transliterated as Wang Qingzhou) and sales representative Chen Yiyi.
Based on court communication records, Gil first contacted Hubei Amarvel’s sales representative Yang Er (English name: Anita) on November 17, 2022, stating, “You know I’m manufacturing fentanyl,” and pointing out that “this is not safe.” Yang Er responded, “I know,” and mentioned, “In Mexico, many people buy these precursors.” Gil then indicated, “The main market is in the U.S.,” leading to discussions on product features and uses.
Yang Er mentioned that her company could provide fentanyl precursor chemicals for manufacturing and directly ship them to New York. She claimed in the communication, “We are only selling raw materials because manufacturing fentanyl in China is illegal.” However, she assured Gil multiple times that her company could provide high-quality chemicals and meet the demand, stating, “I believe you will be satisfied with our products. Not only can you synthesize fentanyl, but you can also save a significant amount compared to previous raw material purchases.”
On March 23, 2023, in Bangkok, Thailand, Hubei Amarvel’s senior executive Wang Qingzhou met with Chen Yiyi, DEA undercover agents Gil and Jose (CS-2) to discuss chemical supply details and future cooperation models. Gil mentioned that several American customers had died from drugs made using related products and wanted to improve the formula. Wang Qingzhou, speaking Mandarin to Chen Yiyi, said the company had many clients in Mexico who could provide materials and assist in formula improvement. Chen Yiyi, speaking in English, said, “We have many clients in the U.S. and Mexico who know the manufacturing methods.” She added that they were willing to provide this help after establishing a deeper business relationship with Jose.
On March 24, 2023, Chen created a WhatsApp encryption communication group, with members including Yang Er, Wang Qingzhou, two undercover agents, and “Mr. Xia.” Yang Er shared a product list in the group, omitting the application-related part. However, in her private conversation with Gil, Yang Er provided a complete list, detailing the chemical’s intended use, and emphasized, “When discussing the final product, please do it privately, as it is forbidden in China.”
On March 27, Gil requested detailed product information from Yang Er, who responded that she would complete the list the next day and send it to the group. At the same time, she suggested privately, “There are many things that cannot be discussed in China, such as how to manufacture drugs, etc. It’s very dangerous for us. Of course, I will send the product list to your boss for inspection.”
From March 27 to 30, Yang Er provided a detailed product list, including the piperidine products popular in the Mexican market. Gil requested an additional column for final product information, to which Yang Er explained, “Discussing drugs openly in China is very dangerous, please understand. Can you delete the reposted pictures from our group?”
On April 4, Yang Er provided Gil with lists of controlled substances, including the CAS number of the fentanyl precursor, which Gil confirmed met the requirements.
On April 11, Gil confirmed the purchase of $45,800 worth of chemicals, enough to produce approximately 55 kilograms of finished fentanyl. Yang Er stated this was the final credit transaction and provided the transaction invoice to Gil.
On April 26, Yang Er notified Gil that the goods had cleared customs and were about to arrive at the warehouse. However, the goods were ultimately shipped to Los Angeles rather than the originally agreed-upon New York warehouse. She explained, “There was an accident in New York not long ago. So, for safety reasons, the shipment was redirected to Los Angeles. Before the delivery, I had confirmed with Mr. Wang to arrange for delivery to the warehouse in New York.”
On May 2, the goods arrived at the warehouse in Los Angeles, weighing a total of 236 kilograms. Yang Er confirmed the warehouse address and pick-up arrangements with Gil, emphasizing the safety and reliability of the agent: “I just contacted the agent, and he said this is their rented regular warehouse, very safe because the warehouse staff don’t know what these goods are.”
On May 4, Yang Er and Gil discussed future cooperation, with Yang Er revealing that inspections in New York were stricter, and transportation needed to prioritize safety concerns. Four days later, they discussed new orders and payment arrangements. Wang Qingzhou agreed to receive a $20,000 deposit, emphasizing the importance of honest cooperation. Yang Er added that this transaction would lay the foundation for long-term cooperation, helping both parties expand their business scale.
Prosecutors argued that from November 2022 to May 2023, multiple interactions with the high-level executives and sales representatives of Hubei Amarvel showed that they continued to push transactions while fully aware of the chemicals’ purposes, constituting evidence of involvement in the fentanyl supply chain.
Defense lawyers questioned the legitimacy, pointing out that transaction documents (on Hubei Amarvel letterhead), company information (including website, company phone, and address), and payment methods (using credit rather than cash transactions) all align with legal commercial operations. They also highlighted that many critical communications were initiated by the DEA’s undercover agents, not proposed by the defendants, attempting to weaken the prosecution’s charges of “actively participating in a conspiracy.”
However, prosecutors emphasized that the defendants, in multiple communications, were well aware of the chemicals’ uses and continued to push transactions. For example, Yang Er once stated, “The recommended piperidine is the best-selling product in Mexico, used to manufacture fentanyl.” The prosecutors also cited Yang Er’s remark about “discussing drugs in China is very dangerous,” indicating a deliberate attempt to withhold product usage, showing intent to participate in illegal activities. ◇