The first case came as a direct result of Sessions' new program which correlates information from federal, state, and local authorities to identify the top sources of narcotics smuggling. According to Sessions, the arrest of a notorious pusher in Akron whose Fentanyl supplies were directly linked to an overdose death. The lab results found the same type of drug had been located in other crimes. The FBI then were able to track down the front companies acting as distribution warehouses. That connection indicated that a major syndicate was behind the operation.
The trail led back to Shanghai, China. Zheng Guanghua and his son Zheng Fujing were charged with 43 counts of "flooding the world with Opioids for over a decade," in Sessions' words. China has been notified of the extradition request. The Zhengs' top distributor, based in Boston, and 32 others involved in smuggling and distribution already have been rounded up. According to Sessions, Zheng-produced Opioids have been found in 25 countries and 37 US States.
Whatever happens to the Zhengs, either here or in China, their network is finished. Chinese authorities estimate that the Zhengs were smuggling tons of Opioids out of their country every month.
The Steamroller though, wasn't finished. Sessions announced the successful conclusion of a quasi-secret FBI project called Operation Darkness Falls. This investigation grew out of July's take-down of Alpha Bay, the largest 'dark web' Opioid-trafficking site. Two of the vendors who used that site, Matthew and Holly Roberts of San Antonio, were found to be the heads of another site called MH4LIFE. As it turned out, MH4LIFE is (or now, was) the largest online trafficking site in the US and fourth largest in the world. Between 2011 and today, the Roberts' sold every kind of illegal narcotic imaginable.
The take-down also captured one Robert Kiessling, the third largest fentanyl vendor in North America. He was based in Canada; and reportedly committed suicide after his arrest. Another named Ryan Kluth of Cleveland was arrested for dealing fentanyl and during the raid was also caught running a child-porn ring.
The full text of Sessions' speech can be read on this link, since---as we all know---the Mainstream Media probably won't bother reporting it. But today's announcements were significant. The percentage of Opioids flooding our streets had to go down by at least double-digits after today's successes.
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