PRC-Based Source of Supply (China): Chinese chemical companies and their representatives supply fentanyl precursor chemicals.

Here’s the breakdown. They accept payments via bank wire transfers, MSB (money service businesses) funds, online payment platforms, and cryptocurrency (CVC).

Online advertisements often include contact details (phone numbers, emails) and are associated with fentanyl precursors, sometimes using falsified or mislabeled invoices and customs records to obscure the true nature of the goods.

U.S.-Based Intermediaries (Individuals or Companies):
These entities act as middlemen, facilitating transactions between Chinese suppliers and other parties.

Money flows from U.S.-based intermediaries to Chinese suppliers as payment for chemicals.

U.S.-Based Money Laundering Organization:
These groups handle the financial side, laundering money to obscure its origins.

They coordinate payments and logistics with Mexican counterparts.

Mexican Financial Facilitators:
Often front/shell companies, money mules, or straw buyers, these entities in Mexico receive and process funds.

They work with U.S.-based freight forwarders or customs brokers to move goods (chemicals) across borders.

Clandestine Labs in Mexico:
The precursor chemicals are shipped to Mexico, often via airports or ports.

Mexican cartels use these chemicals in clandestine labs to produce fentanyl.

U.S.-Based Drug Trafficking Organizations:
The final product, fentanyl, is trafficked into the U.S. by these organizations for distribution.

Key Flow:
Goods (Chemicals): Move from China to Mexico, where they are processed into fentanyl, then trafficked into the U.S.

Money: Flows from U.S. intermediaries to Chinese suppliers, with laundering and coordination happening through U.S. and Mexican financial facilitators.
The diagram highlights a complex network involving multiple countries, financial systems, and deceptive practices to enable the fentanyl trade.